Studio shot
Biography
Nick Smith, born in 1980, is a contemporary Scottish artist celebrated for his distinctive, pixelated style that seamlessly blends imagery with pixels and bridges fine art with popular culture. His artistic journey took off in 2011 with his colour swatch recreation of Warhol’s Marilyn, laying the groundwork for his innovative approach.
Smith’s work masterfully combines image and text, offering a rich exploration of contemporary cultural icons and art historical themes. His art fosters intimate engagement, featuring pixelated images that crystallize from afar and narrative texts that draw viewers in for a closer look.
Recent career highlights include a collaboration with the Rijksmuseum on a community artwork inspired by Vermeer's "The Milkmaid" during their 2023 Vermeer exhibition, and a partnership with Bonhams. These projects highlight his ability to fuse historical artistry with modern techniques.
Since 2014, Smith has launched 11 solo exhibitions, exploring themes from the devotion of sneaker culture in 'Polytheism' (2023) to the intrigue of stolen masterpieces in ‘Pinched’ (2019). His works delve into identity, culture, and personal expression through iconic everyday items and other subjects, earning places in collections worldwide and continually expanding the boundaries of artistic expression.
SOLO EXHIBITIONS…
PSYCOLOURGY – January 2015 Lawrence Alkin Gallery, London
Smith’s debut solo exhibition with Lawrence Alkin Gallery in Soho, London, launched his unique visual reworking of classic paintings from the 20th Century canon. Universally known works, including David Hockney’s ‘The Bigger Splash’, Andy Warhol’s ‘Soup Cans’ and Leonardo da Vinci’s ‘Mona Lisa’ were all recast, creating original collages that interrogate ideas of depiction, digitalisation and recognition. A sell out show, with numerous successful subsequent print releases, Psycolourgy forged Smith’s path to a place among Britain’s notable contemporary artists.
PARAMOUR – March 2016 Lawrence Alkin Gallery, London
Smith’s second solo show with Lawrence Alkin Gallery, saw the artist draw inspiration from classic romantic and erotic literature. Employing his now signature colour-chip technique, Smith infused voyeuristic, intimate, cropped pornographic and sensual nude imagery with excerpts of text taken from the likes of Shakespeare’s plays and sonnets, John Cleland’s ‘Memoirs of a woman of Pleasure’ and D. H. Lawrence’s ‘Lady Chatterly’s Lover’ . The theme of illicit love permeated through the evocative body of work, pairing literature, love and sex in his unique style.
PARLANCE – March 2017 Lawrence Alkin Gallery, London
Smith’s third show with Lawrence Alkin Gallery, explored the dialogue between print media and high culture. This body of work drew on a diverse and exciting pool of influence, pairing classic folk and fairytales, popular song lyrics, and interview material with vintage print media. Smith wanted to highjack an existing canvas, continue an existing story and add a new ending. Diverting from entirely pixellated images, Smith introduced CMYK - the universal printing technique in publications, in contrast to his signature custom colour swatches.
Parlance presented entirely pixelated images, tondo half tones, partially deconstructed images and source magazine material, demonstrating Smith’s creative flexibility and desire for constant creative evolution.
PRICELESS - March 2018 Lawrence Alkin Gallery, London
Smiths fourth show with Lawrence Alkin Gallery, explores the world of high end art auction results and seeks to quantify the vast sums of money paid.
PSALMS - December 2018 Nelly Duff Gallery, London
Visually Psalms is grab and go, it’s a little fast food for the soul. Glossy sweetie colours, packaged into something easily digestible, bright and recognisable – an immediate dopamine hit. Up close the text offers a little more nourishment… perhaps satiating our hunger once the words have been digested. Smith has paired ten condiments with edited versions of ten Psalms, replacing all references to God with references to the chosen condiments. In pairing the beautifully expressive, highly emotive and somewhat familiar Biblical language of the Psalms with images of these culinary idols, aiming to inspire some discussion on what it is we worship and why. We seem to have an almost religious affiliation to our favourite branded condiments, exalting them to idols of the culinary realm, worshiped by foodies and fussy eaters alike. Condiments cross cultural barriers, conjure comforting memories, alter things to suit our taste and easily offend if added at an inappropriate time.
As with any complex dish there are various depths of flavour. The humour in the absurdity of the language, much like the addition of a condiment to a less than tasty meal, makes the somewhat archaic language a little more agreeable. Yet the pairings are as ridiculous when read aloud as they are profound when considered – particularly as we approach Christmas. You don’t have to be religious to get the joke. Especially as we enter the holiday period and it’s materialist push toward consumerism. If these pieces encourage even one of you to question what it is that you consume, perhaps we might re-evaluate our idols and what it is we deem important. At the very least, it’s a little food for thought.
PINCHED - May 2019 Rhodes Contemporary Art, London
The exhibition consists of 20 new works by the artist, with reworkings of infamous, instantly recognisable stolen artworks to some lesser known works by the heavy hitters of art history; including Vermeer’s The Concert (Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum) and Munch’s The Scream (Munch Museum). Extensive research went into the series, drawing on information collected from media archives, crime reports, CCTV, police statements and the most wanted list of the twentieth century’s biggest art heists.
Using his trademark colour chips, the artist has created specter-like chromatic blurs of images that have remained potent forces despite no longer being available for public consumption. In addition to his unique visual language of colour swatches, Smith presents a confident and playful collection of mixed medium artworks and screen prints highlighting the absurdity and intrigue left in the wake of these heists. The exhibition looks at the void left by these stolen works and how this manifests within public consciousness and cultural history, the material existence of these artworks was only one, and not strictly the crucial, element of meaning.
PURGATORY - December 2019 Context, Art Miami
Purgatory is a shiny, sticky, glossy exploration of our societies attitude and approach to our excess, addictions and desires.
Excerpts from Dante’s Purgatory are woven through colourful works depicting popular covetable consumables, creating symbolic representations of the seven sins. Dante explores possible penance for our earthly suffering leading to spiritual growth. The results of these pairings offer a humorous, nostalgic and subversive opportunity to question our choices, our history and our future.
PIONEERS - October 2020 Rhodes Contemporary Art, London
Fascinated since my youth by American culture and the pioneering spirit of iconic American art and design, ‘Pioneers’ indulges my nostalgia for the artists, artworks and products that continue to intrigue and inspire.
Lichtenstein, Close, Warhol, Matt Groening... these, and the other artists explored, are true creators of culture. Each has forged a timeless visual identity, instantly recognisable and internationally revered. With an optimistic start, it’s safe to say that 2020 has thrown us all a few curve balls. After spending the last year or so working toward a show in New York, our plans were derailed when the borders closed. Employing my own unique visual aesthetic and method of Psycolourgy to fully explore the corners of my mind in these interesting times, each piece will provide a melange of my experiences during the spring and summer of this extraordinary year. If we couldn’t show in America, perhaps I could show America here?
PSYCOLOURGY 2.0 - December 2021 Rhodes Contemporary Art, London
For this body of work, I collected 50 words of personal interest and entered the print studio to mix 50 corresponding colours. Some are logical, others less so. They are presented in a colour chromatic sequence pleasing to my eye and are published in a uniform screen printed format. Each print is unique and will never be made again due to the nature of the colour mixing process and, more importantly, my desire to explore new word/colour conversations.
POSED - November 2022 Rhodes Contemporary Art, London
My love of classical nudes is no secret. The subtle colour variations, the suggestive, symbolic and sensual postures and poses, the drama and romance and tension…
But who are these people? What were their thoughts and experiences?
So began a conversation, between my muse and I, exploring the possible lived experiences of these beautiful naked beings. Weaving together memories, myths, both lived and learned, we wrote the words to accompany each image, giving a voice to the muse.
POLYTHEISM - May 2023 Rhodes Contemporary Art, London
Our choice of footwear often reflects our life's journey. Shoes not only offer comfort and protection but also serve as a medium for expressing our diverse tastes and cultural affiliations. This body of work investigates the intricate relationship between iconic footwear and the subcultures they have become associated with. POLYTHEISM examines these connections, inviting recognition and consideration of the true significance of these cherished cultural icons.
GROUP EXHIBITIONS...
HOT OFF THE PRESS - May 2024 - Bonhams, London
ORIGINS - December 2023 - Rhodes Contemporary, London
WOOLWICH CONTEMPORARY PRINT FAIR - October 2023 - London
POP X CULTURE - October 2023 - Bonhams, London
PHILIPS x RIJKSMUSEUM x NICK SMITH - February 2023 - Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam
ART ON A POSTCARD WINTER AUCTION - November 2022 - London
WOOLWICH CONTEMPORARY PRINT FAIR - November 2022 - London
POP X CULTURE - October 2022 - Bonhams, London
LONDON ART FAIR - April 2022 - Rhodes Contemporary, London
POP X CULTURE - November 2021 - Bonhams, London
SUMMER EXHIBITION - July 2021 - Rhodes Contemporary, London
SAMUEL OWEN GALLERY - July 2020 - Nantucket, MT
LONDON ART FAIR - January 2020 - Rhodes Contemporary, London
CHROMA - August 2019 - Rhodes Contemporary, London
SCOPE MIAMI - December 2018 - Samuel Owen Gallery, Miami
MIX WINTER - December 2018 - Rhodes Contemporary, London
BRITISH INVASION - November 2018 - Samuel Owen Gallery, Greenwich CT
SAMUEL OWEN GALLERY - June 2018 - Nantucket, MT
SCOPE MIAMI - December 2017 - Lawrence Alkin Gallery, Miami
MIX SUMMER - August 2017 - Lawrence Alkin Gallery, London
STREET MASTERS - June 2017 - Sothebys, New York
EMERGING TO ESTABLISHED - January 2017 - Krause Gallery, New York
MIX WINTER - December 2016 - Lawrence Alkin Gallery, London
SCOPE MIAMI - November 2016 - Lawrence Alkin Gallery, Miami
EMERGING TO ESTABLISHED - August 2016 - Krause Gallery, New York
MIX SUMMER - August 2016 - Lawrence Alkin Gallery, London
EMERGING TO ESTABLISHED - February 2016 - Krause Gallery, New York
SCOPE MIAMI - November 2015 - Lawrence Alkin Gallery, Miami
MIX WINTER - November 2015 - Shoreditch House, London
MIX WINTER - November 2014 - Lawrence Alkin Gallery, London