In this book, very simply designed by the artist, with no texts, the
reproduction of the art images is just as important as the works
themselves. The visibility of pixels, the blurred brushstrokes, the glare
of a flash reflecting on the surface of paint, or smudged xerox effects
are all part of the work. Rather than highligting the process of painting,
the artist is highlighting the process of art reproduction, in a reversal
not dissimilar to his approach of painting itself.
Josh Smith (*1978, lives and works in New York) has recently gained a wide acclaim
for paintings that seem to turn Abstract Expressionism into cartoon-like
forms of appropriation. He first became known for the works in which he
used his name as a motif on the canvas, an ironic act of self marketing.
His later "abstractions" and "palettes" further demonstrated his ability
to collage manual imput and mechanical reproduction, challenging the
notions of creation.
In a world of incessant
flows, products, and images, Smith succeeds in offering an alternative flow that serves to
break the repetition of the same. Authenticity is not to be sought in a triumphant
subjectivity whose return would be signaled through signature and expressiveness, but in
a frenzied search whereby subject and work are constantly co-produced and modified.
