Brian Smyth
Encyclopedia
Brian Smyth is an Irish painter known for his figurative
work.
. He studied art at the Crawford College of Art and Design in Cork, where he specialised in painting, and graduated with an honours degree in art and design in 1995. Subsidiary subjects included print, video and photography.
In January 2000, Smyth exhibited at Lavit gallery with Tom Climent and Martin Finnin in a "smart and trendy" show. Jo Allen in Circa said Smyth's work of "tastefully hued paintings of photographs of a pretty woman resting were slick and pleasing to the eye. But they seemed to have little to say beyond their cool, ironic stance."
Mark Ewart in The Irish Times
said the work of each of the three exhibiting artists was "quite distinctive", Smyth's colours being toned down to the point where they approached monochrome, and that his work, like Climent's, was nostalgic: "The paintings of the reclining female figures are particularly atmospheric, the features seeming to melt into an understated, yet fluidly painted background."
His first solo show took place in November 2001 at the Blue Leaf Gallery, Fairview
, of around 25 oil paintings, mostly portraits, using film scenes, his girlfriend, and portraits by artists such as Titian
, Klimt and Rembrandt as source material. A concern with tone, light and character created a postmodern
style, which he saw as "timeless".
In 2008 at the Lavit Gallery, Smyth curated Brian Smyth Selects, and chose five artists who, like him, work in representational painting. The artists were Patrick Cashin, Mary Clancy, Philip Lindey, Stephen Murphy, and Jennifer O’Connor.
Smyth's work has been exhibited in Ireland (Lavit Gallery and Buckley Fine Art, Cork, and the Oisin gallery, Dublin), the UK (Red Rag Gallery in Stow on the Wold), and abroad (New York, Chicago and Switzerland).
Figurative art
Figurative art, sometimes written as figurativism, describes artwork—particularly paintings and sculptures—which are clearly derived from real object sources, and are therefore by definition representational.-Definition:...
work.
Life and work
Brian Smyth was born in CorkCounty Cork
County Cork is a county in Ireland. It is located in the South-West Region and is also part of the province of Munster. It is named after the city of Cork . Cork County Council is the local authority for the county...
. He studied art at the Crawford College of Art and Design in Cork, where he specialised in painting, and graduated with an honours degree in art and design in 1995. Subsidiary subjects included print, video and photography.
In January 2000, Smyth exhibited at Lavit gallery with Tom Climent and Martin Finnin in a "smart and trendy" show. Jo Allen in Circa said Smyth's work of "tastefully hued paintings of photographs of a pretty woman resting were slick and pleasing to the eye. But they seemed to have little to say beyond their cool, ironic stance."
Mark Ewart in The Irish Times
The Irish Times
The Irish Times is an Irish daily broadsheet newspaper launched on 29 March 1859. The editor is Kevin O'Sullivan who succeeded Geraldine Kennedy in 2011; the deputy editor is Paul O'Neill. The Irish Times is considered to be Ireland's newspaper of record, and is published every day except Sundays...
said the work of each of the three exhibiting artists was "quite distinctive", Smyth's colours being toned down to the point where they approached monochrome, and that his work, like Climent's, was nostalgic: "The paintings of the reclining female figures are particularly atmospheric, the features seeming to melt into an understated, yet fluidly painted background."
His first solo show took place in November 2001 at the Blue Leaf Gallery, Fairview
Fairview, Dublin
Fairview is a coastal district on the Northside of Dublin, Ireland, in the jurisdiction of Dublin City Council. Part of the area forms Fairview Park, on land reclaimed from the sea.-Location and access:...
, of around 25 oil paintings, mostly portraits, using film scenes, his girlfriend, and portraits by artists such as Titian
Titian
Tiziano Vecelli or Tiziano Vecellio Tiziano Vecelli or Tiziano Vecellio Tiziano Vecelli or Tiziano Vecellio (c. 1488/1490 – 27 August 1576 better known as Titian was an Italian painter, the most important member of the 16th-century Venetian school. He was born in Pieve di Cadore, near...
, Klimt and Rembrandt as source material. A concern with tone, light and character created a postmodern
Postmodernism
Postmodernism is a philosophical movement evolved in reaction to modernism, the tendency in contemporary culture to accept only objective truth and to be inherently suspicious towards a global cultural narrative or meta-narrative. Postmodernist thought is an intentional departure from the...
style, which he saw as "timeless".
In 2008 at the Lavit Gallery, Smyth curated Brian Smyth Selects, and chose five artists who, like him, work in representational painting. The artists were Patrick Cashin, Mary Clancy, Philip Lindey, Stephen Murphy, and Jennifer O’Connor.
Smyth's work has been exhibited in Ireland (Lavit Gallery and Buckley Fine Art, Cork, and the Oisin gallery, Dublin), the UK (Red Rag Gallery in Stow on the Wold), and abroad (New York, Chicago and Switzerland).