You Already Have Everything You Need, a mantra that has driven the creation of a body of work by Claire Smith. Living in a society where “more is better” can turn very quickly into a burden of excess and inevitably trash. With an eye for potential and a heart for saving the planet, Smith scours back alleys and trash piles dragging a collection of will-bes (as in this will be good for…) to car, then home, then studio. Smith challenges herself to use only collected and repurposed materials including parts of her own pieces that have been started and abandoned.
Though the word trash conjures images of dark, dirty, and broken, there is a consistent lightness, joy, and personification at play in Smith’s work. The enjoyment she gets and humor she shares in building each piece is evidenced in the titles that remind all that joy and laughter have an important place, even on gallery walls. From waste to ‘will be’ to art, this shot of dopamine will leave you smiling.
Exhibitions
Art Unbound IV, Columbus Metropolitan Library, Columbus, OH.
Fractured Systems, Saint Kate-The Arts Hotel, Milwaukee, WI.
Patternplay, 934 Gallery, Columbus, OH.
Ten Years Later: An Art school reunion exhibition, VAR Gallery, Milwaukee, WI.
Dare to Be, Carnegie Gallery, Columbus, OH.
Dream-Like, S. Dot Gallery, Columbus, OH.
Room, CoverMyMeds, Columbus, OH.
Plug and Play, Wild Goose Creative, Columbus, OH.
The Writing is on the Wall, Carnegie Gallery, Columbus, OH.
In Between Everywhere, Mansfield Art Center, Mansfield, OH.
Together Forever, Vanderelli Room, Columbus, OH.
Benchwarmers, Blockfort, Columbus, OH.
Inside Job, Brooks Stevens Gallery, Milwaukee WI.
Outside, Schnormeier Gallery, Mount Vernon, OH.
Ultimate Tensile Strength, 934 Gallery, Columbus, OH.
Inside, Cultural Art Center, Columbus, OH.
CYA L8R. City Center Gallery, Columbus, OH.
Landmark. Shot Tower Gallery, Columbus, OH.
Remnants. Urban Arts Space, Columbus, OH
She Wolf, Present Works, Milwaukee, WI