Originally trained as a printmaker, Josh Smith has become known for expressive figurative and abstract paintings that flirt with the boundaries of good taste. Smith rose to prominence in the early 2000s with aggressive paintings depicting his name; the letters fluctuated between signifiers and abstracted forms. Since then, he has made rough-hewn monochromes, colorful and conceptual “Palette Paintings,” and borderline psychedelic depictions of fish, leaves, basketball nets, grim reapers, skeletons, and insects. Many of his paintings incorporate digital images of previous pieces, which he then exhaustively reworks. Smith has exhibited around the world, and his work has been acquired by the Centre Pompidou, Moderna Museet, the Museum of Modern Art, and the Whitney Museum of American Art, among other institutions. At auction, Smith’s paintings have sold for six figures. The artist has also worked as a draftsman, sculptor, and printmaker. In 2020, he collaborated with Louis Vuitton on a handbag.
American, b. 1976