29

Josh Smith

b. 1976

"Turtle," 2019

Oil on panel
Signed and dated verso: Josh Smith; titled on a label affixed verso; inscribed, in another hand, verso: JSP19103
48" H x 36" W

  • Provenance: David Zwirner, New York, London, Hong Kong (SMIJO0749)
  • Exhibited: New York, David Zwirner Gallery, "Josh Smith: Emo Jungle," April 25 - July 19, 2019
  • Notes: Colorful, bold, and gestural, Josh Smith's paintings are readily recognizable. He frequently creates in series, perhaps a nod to his early career as a printmaker. The present piece, "Turtle," is among the many subjects the artist has handled iteratively. This 2019 work features a hybrid creature with features reminiscent of a bird and crustacean. The round abdomen of the being, enhanced by a patchwork of color, alludes to the patterning on the shell of a tortoise. Vaguely abstract and yet decidedly figural, Josh Smith's pastiche of animal forms is a vehicle by which to emphasize the materiality of the paint surface and the liminal space between high art and kitsch. By painting in large format, Smith further interrogates venerable taste and the merits of the long-esteemed medium. In a recent interview, Josh Smith explained his artistic practice: "I'm trying to make the worst thing possible. You might like it so much that you hate it because it defeats your preconceived notions of what Modernism is." Josh Smith was born in Okinawa, where his father was stationed in the United States Army. His family moved regularly throughout his childhood, eventually settling in Tennessee. He later pursued a BFA from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, and undertook additional coursework at Miami University in Ohio. Smith has lived and operated his studio in New York City since 1998. Josh Smith's prolific output extends to sculpture, printmaking, collage, and book production. He is known for broad experimentation in medium and style and revisits themes over time. Motifs such as his abstracted name, Palm Trees, or the Grim Reaper are examples of elements reappearing throughout his oeuvre, often over decades. This approach to artmaking allows him to examine the implications of developing a distinct style and later witnessing its commerciality in the market. Smith's work is held in numerous international public collections, including The Broad, Los Angeles; Carnegie Museum of Art, Pittsburgh; Centre Pompidou, Paris; Moderna Museet, Stockholm; Musée d'art Contemporain de Montréal; The Museum of Modern Art, New York and the Whitney Museum of American Art, New York.
  • Condition: Visual: Good condition.

    Blacklight: No evidence of restoration.

    Unframed

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November 1, 2022 12:00 PM PDT
Monrovia, CA, US

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