Patterned pastoral scenes in David Brian Smith’s luminous paintings — Colossal
Easter egg-like clouds, luminous sunrise gradients and countless vibrant patterns are just a few elements of David Bryan Smith’s otherworldly landscapes.
Smith grew up in rural Shropshire, England, and his ancestral connections to the region’s farming traditions heavily influenced his work after he moved to London. His work is reminiscent of the landscapes of the English Norwich School, a group of self-taught working-class artists who organized themselves as an art society in the early 19th century.
According to Ross + Kramer Gallery, Smith’s solo exhibition, Smith departed from historically more academic styles of oil painting to create works that are “reimagined through the colorful lens of illusion.” Around Leijin. Smith’s stark contrasts of rolling hills, farm buildings and bulbous trees also recall the idyllic yet slightly mystical paintings of American regionalist artist Grant Wood (1891-1942).
“Smith’s paintings are rooted in the British pastoral tradition but are visually boldly modern, exploring ideas of place, belonging and time through brilliant colour, intricate brushwork and layered symbolism,” the gallery said. The show’s title references the name of a hill in Shropshire called the Wrekin, which is distinctive for its conical shape and is a popular place for walks.
In the sky, fields, rivers and forests, hundreds of small hatch marks, flowers, starbursts and other thematic patterns dance across the surface. He also often incorporates gold and silver leaf to add an even more ethereal feel to his large luminous canvases, using the power of color and light to evoke nostalgia and a psychedelic utopianism.
Around Leijin The event will run in San Francisco until November 22nd. Smith’s work is also on display as part of inner and outer world, An international contemporary painting exhibition will run until April 12 at the Ju Ming Museum of Art in Taiwan. See more information on the artist’s website and Instagram.
