- La Luz
de Jesus Gallery, is delighted to bring the return of the phenomenally
popular Owen Smith. In an aggressive and exaggerated figurative style
reminiscent of the social realist movement, Smith depicts thugs, boxers,
and fierce women in bold figure compositions. This, his latest collection,
depicts the dark side to human relationships, each painting gloriously
illuminating the tension between the characters with deep, rich color.
Figures snarl at one another, men sulk, women smolder. In one work
of art twin gangster brothers from the tough streets of London's West
End are depicted in their beloved mother's parlor. Smith so skillfully
illustrates the brothers' complex and disturbing relationship through
body language and unusual perspective. Smith's paintings show the
expectation of violence placed on men in society. Film Noire and pulp
fiction illustration also influence his depiction of the strong, sexy,
tough women that populate the dark urban landscapes of his pieces.
The figures in Smith's work are frozen mid action and the narrative
is ambiguous and mysterious. The artist has designed for every big
magazine in the country, as well as for the New York City subway System
and the San Francisco Opera. He's also designed cover illustrations
for the last four New Yorker Fiction issues. Owen Smith is a gem,
his paintings are fantastic.
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