John Connelly Presents
625 West 27th Street, 212-337-9563
Chelsea
February 16 - March 17, 2007
Reception: Friday, February 16, 6 - 8 PM
Web Site
Joshua Smith works in a variety of media (including painting, photography and sculpture) to explore the delicate creative cavern between sentimentality and inspiration. Through the use of both appropriation and self-reflection Smith’s diverse works maintain an inviting character that is autobiographical and yet of a universal nature. His works, such as his colorful painting of a string of grand-opening flags, his Polaroid of a Felix Gonzalez-Torres’ poster in someone’s home, or even his stack of custom woofers and tweeters (a graduation gift from his grandfather) intermittently and endlessly playing Roy Orbison’s “Only the Lonely”, all maintain an aura of refreshing sincerity that is deftly tempered with a dose of worldly skepticism. This balanced approach to making art from personal experience and simple emotion implicitly challenges the current trend of over-determined and heavy handed art world strategies (that often masquerade behind obtuse theoretical and critical treatises) while graciously reminding us there is room (and necessity) in the art world for both.