American artist, Josh Smith returns to Brussels for his second exhibition with Xavier Hufkens on June 7th when the Belgian gallery presents Finding Emo, a series of his latest paintings and monotypes depicting the Grim Reaper in an impressive installation spanning both gallery spaces.
Though his practice includes sculptures, ceramics, books, prints, and posters, the NYC-based artist is primarily known as a painter. His expressionistic, gestural, and colorful canvases freely borrow from the vocabulary of modern painting while strategically and methodically creating a prodigious series of works. Curious about contemporary tastes and norms, Smith conjures highly distinctive visual motifs that he replicates in an exploration of painterly methods.
In this experimental approach, a subject sheds its archetypal meaning and becomes an enabling device for the artist to play creative explorations. Using an iconic symbol of death as a way to experiment with his painterly technique, Smith interprets various vibrant versions of the Grim Reaper that work as both individual pieces as well as a collective series. With subtle composition differences, a variety of color choices, and additional flourishes, the artist celebrates traditional painting while showing how atmosphere and meaning can enhance the work, regardless of its main motif.
Josh Smith's "Finding Emo" opens at Xavier Hufkens, Brussels on June 7, 2019, and is on display through July 13, 2019.
Courtesy: the Artist and Xavier Hufkens, Brussels
