Canadian abstract artist Blu Smith views his vibrant and powerful paintings not as individual pieces but
rather as a living, breathing and constantly evolving body of work. His mature style began as an exercise to free himself from the technical restraints of realism, and exploring non-representational abstraction drove the evolution of his unique artistic voice.
Moving with his family to a rural area of Vancouver Island was a seminal moment for Smith, when his
abstraction began to combine with the landscape of the Canadian West Coast. His subject matter has since been based on organic shapes with strong ties to
nature; the organic structures are balanced with cavernous, light-filled spaces inspired by the West Coast of Canada, giving each atmospheric piece an almost other-worldly glow.
Beginning with broad washes and textures, Smith identifies and develops the three- dimensional
shapes within the structures, finally resolving the surface with incisive drawing. He uses a combination of brushwork and palette knife, heavy texture
complemented by thin layers of transparent glazes, and is less concerned with detail than pursuit of the canvas working overall. "The viewer" he says, " needs to use some imagination to fill in the gaps."
Smith has exhibited his work to great acclaim throughout Canada, Europe and the U.S. for several years. Hugely respected by both public and critics, he has created a unique and memorable voice in a competitive world; a voice he describes as "modern
abstraction infused with an organic flavour", or "a sense of place with a contemporary aesthetic." As one reviewer wrote, "The work of Canadian abstract artist,
Blu Smith, is at first, an invitation to the phenomenal. And then, as the audience, you are there." Samantha
Matcovsky. (The Huffington Post.)
"My work is about the diversity of two different states and the transitions between the two. The real interest lies in bridging the gap between structure and space, foreground and background."
