Sensitivity is a virtue in artworks by Josh Smith. He is thoughtful about the ideas communicated by both their subject matter and his painterly techniques – “I want people to look at my work and understand exactly how it was made.” His brush strokes are bold, directional and always exposed. For Josh, that rawness is central to his life and practice. “I don’t want to become less sensitive,” he says, “I just put it in the art.”
Smith often explores specific subjects and even particular palettes or formal elements as part of his vast, iterative practice. The works featured in his 2023 exhibition L...
Bio
Josh Smith (he/him) was born in 1976 to a US Army family in Okinawa, Japan. Most of his childhood was spent in East Tennessee, USA. He now lives and works in New York.
Painting against the current
Josh Smith is unmoved by trends or fads. His artistic references are incredibly niche, such as 18th Century American wall stencilling. His work challenges complacency. “I want people to either hate it or love it. I don’t want to be in the middle.”