Martin Smith - Design & Design Art New York Thursday, December 13, 2007 | Phillips

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  • Provenance

    Barrett Marsden Gallery, London

  • Catalogue Essay

    In Smith’s work even small permutations of form and material can offer quite different perceptions of space… In each case the component parts are separated by a narrow channel that provides glimpses of a contained reflective space.  The effect of the light rebounding around the inner chamber is to make it appear larger – deeper than its true dimensions… The component parts of the series Specific Objects are similarly spaced, allowing ambient light to be admitted at low level to illuminate the interior.  The consequent effects of color, light and shadow differ immensely depending on the reordering of shape from one piece to the next.  Though pure in form the intricacies of such spaces are difficult to describe.  The colors that one is immediately aware of are those of red earthenware and metallic leaf, with atmospheric hints of blue or green becoming gradually more discernible.  These being cast from hidden surfaces to encircle the boundary of a reflective field.  Tessa Peters, writing for the exhibition brochure for Martin Smith’s March/April 1999 exhibition at Barrett Marsden Gallery

245

“Specific Objects No. 2"

1999
Red earthenware, platinum leaf.
16 1/2 in. (42 cm) diameter

Estimate
$6,000 - 9,000 

Design & Design Art

13 Dec 2007, 2pm
New York