6 . Contemporary artist Nick Smith creates pixelated (像素化的) works with hand colour-chips, synonymous with colour swatches (色块), cleverly combining text and image to create interesting and fascinating collaged (拼贴的) works.
With a previous career in Interior Design spanning 11 years, Nick references his concept design background throughout his work, reworking the design aesthetic using unique colours watches in hand-made collages, placing his work firmly in the fine art category. From his first collage experiment back in 2011 of Warhol’s ‘Marilyn’, when he assembled a tessellation (镶嵌技术) of swatches as a challenge, this eventually inspired his career as an artist and determined his unique style he is now known for.
The multi-layered element of his work, which marries image and word, allows Nick to explore complex art-historical concepts. The text employed is often narrative, which can be read in sequence adding another element of intrigue and interest to the work. This additional element of text, placed under the empty space of each swatch, creates either complimentary or subversive meanings. Nick deliberately leaves these word/image constructions open to viewer interpretation, sparking new debates and meanings.
Each P-series, such as Psycolourgy 2015, Purgatory 2019, explores complicatedly researched concepts, which are always the crucial starting point for each new series of work.Producing large-scale works to micro-chip collages, and multiple sell out print editions, Nick continues to develop his popular and recognisable art.
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 enquire 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.
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 (悔) 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.
1. What made Nick launch his art career?
| A．His deep love of fascinating collaged works. |
| B．His first collage work Warhol’s ‘Marilyn’ |
| C．The challenge of piecing a tessellation of swatches. |
| D．The collage experiment dating back to 2012. |
2. Which of the following statements about the text Nick uses is true?
| A．His text contains concepts of art. |
| B．His text is usually illustrative. |
| C．His text can be read sequentially. |
| D．His text elements are very simple |
3. What do we know about PSYCOLOURGY?
| A．It opened Smith’s unique visual reinvention of classic 21th-century paintings. |
| B．David Hockney’s’Mona Lisa’ has been recreated by Lawrence Alkin Gallery. |
| C．The original collages affirm the ideas of depiction , digitisation and recognition. |
| D．It opened Smith’s path to becoming one of Britain’s leading contemporary artists. |
4. What is the topic of this passage?
| A．Some useful ways to create collaged works. |
| B．The life of contemporary artist Nick Smith. |
| C．Information about Psycolourgy and Purgatory. |
| D．The introduction to Nick Smith’s works. |
