Josh Smith (b. 1976)

Untitled from 2009 is exemplary of Josh Smith’s expressive painterly style showing his wide working range. Untitled depicts an abstract field of gestural marks that culminate in a vivacious depiction of a fish; a subject that Smith paints often. Fish hold no special significance to Smith, and it is this ethos that is central to the artist’s painterly practice. Shifting the viewer’s attention away from interpretation, Smith’s work revolves around demystifying the subject in art to focus on the visceral essence of applying paint to the canvas. By painting subjects that do not require a great degree of interpretation, Smith prompts the viewer to look at how the works are painted, to absorb their colors, texture and atmosphere, and to consider the ways in which one engages with the physicality of the work itself.