Mark T. Smith
Encyclopedia
Mark T. Smith is a celebrated America
n painter
. He is best known for his colorful, complex paintings and his passion for the application of art into the fabric of everyday life.
, Smith moved to New York City
in 1986 to study at the Pratt Institute
. After graduating from Pratt, he made New York City his home until June 2004. He now divides his time between Washington, D.C. and Miami, FL.
In 1990, Smith received his first commission from the Walt Disney Company. The project involved the creation of a poster for national distribution announcing the 19th birthday of Walt Disney World.
Throughout his 20s, Smith made his living in New York City as an iconoclastic artist known for his highly recognizable paintings. Corporate patronage helped Smith become an increasingly recognizable figure in the crowded New York City art world, and his patrons included the likes of MTV
, Pepsi
, AT&T
, Budweiser
, VH-1, Taco Bell
, and many more. The distinctiveness of Smith’s work culminated in the national Absolut Vodka
campaign in 1996, entitled "Absolut Smith".
His artwork has been displayed in the U.S. and abroad, and on the walls of discerning collectors and the collections of celebrities like Jay Leno
, Neil Diamond
, and Elton John
.
He also hand-painted a pair of PT Cruisers
that were commissioned by Daimler-Chrysler that were driven across the U.S. and exhibited at the Cannes Film Festival
as part of a worldwide promotional tour. One vehicle was auctioned for the charity Operation Smile
to a private collector, and the other is in the Walter P. Chrysler Museum
’s permanent collection in Michigan
.
Since moving to Miami from New York City in 2004, Smith has participated twice in Art Basel
, as well as other solo and group gallery exhibitions.
In 2009, Smith was chosen as the first artist to "Paint on Pink". He painted on pink material recycled from the Pink Project, the art installation that launched Brad Pitt's Make It Right Foundation New Orleans
. The artwork created from this project and all of the proceeds were donated to Make It Right, whose purpose is to help "residents of New Orleans' Lower 9th Ward rebuild their lives and community in the wake of Hurricane Katrina."
, hip-hop, post pop and the vast sea of advertising, commercial and designed visuals that are part of the everyday experience in New York City.
Smith’s artwork embraces the classic skills of drawing and painting with the balance of a modern mindset. It gives off the feeling of movement with its bright and bold colors and shapes that jump right off the canvas. His art becomes a map of travels and experiences, a visual diary of the artist and his time and place in the continuous development of art.
Mark T Smith’s artwork includes:
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
n painter
Painting
Painting is the practice of applying paint, pigment, color or other medium to a surface . The application of the medium is commonly applied to the base with a brush but other objects can be used. In art, the term painting describes both the act and the result of the action. However, painting is...
. He is best known for his colorful, complex paintings and his passion for the application of art into the fabric of everyday life.
Life
Born in Wilmington, DelawareWilmington, Delaware
Wilmington is the largest city in the state of Delaware, United States, and is located at the confluence of the Christina River and Brandywine Creek, near where the Christina flows into the Delaware River. It is the county seat of New Castle County and one of the major cities in the Delaware Valley...
, Smith moved to New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
in 1986 to study at the Pratt Institute
Pratt Institute
Pratt Institute is a private art college in New York City located in Brooklyn, New York, with satellite campuses in Manhattan and Utica. Pratt is one of the leading undergraduate art schools in the United States and offers programs in Architecture, Graphic Design, History of Art and Design,...
. After graduating from Pratt, he made New York City his home until June 2004. He now divides his time between Washington, D.C. and Miami, FL.
In 1990, Smith received his first commission from the Walt Disney Company. The project involved the creation of a poster for national distribution announcing the 19th birthday of Walt Disney World.
Throughout his 20s, Smith made his living in New York City as an iconoclastic artist known for his highly recognizable paintings. Corporate patronage helped Smith become an increasingly recognizable figure in the crowded New York City art world, and his patrons included the likes of MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
, Pepsi
Pepsi
Pepsi is a carbonated soft drink that is produced and manufactured by PepsiCo...
, AT&T
AT&T
AT&T Inc. is an American multinational telecommunications corporation headquartered in Whitacre Tower, Dallas, Texas, United States. It is the largest provider of mobile telephony and fixed telephony in the United States, and is also a provider of broadband and subscription television services...
, Budweiser
Budweiser
Budweiser is a German adjective describing something or someone from the city of České Budějovice in Southern Bohemia, Czech Republic.Beer brewing in České Budějovice dates back to the 13th century...
, VH-1, Taco Bell
Taco Bell
Taco Bell is an American chain of fast-food restaurants based in Irvine, California. A subsidiary of Yum! Brands, Inc., which serves American-adapted Mexican food. Taco Bell serves tacos, burritos, quesadillas, nachos, other specialty items, and a variety of "Value Menu" items...
, and many more. The distinctiveness of Smith’s work culminated in the national Absolut Vodka
Absolut Vodka
Absolut Vodka is a brand of vodka, produced near Åhus, Skåne, in southern Sweden. Since July 2008 the company has been owned by the French firm Pernod Ricard who bought V&S Group from the Swedish government....
campaign in 1996, entitled "Absolut Smith".
His artwork has been displayed in the U.S. and abroad, and on the walls of discerning collectors and the collections of celebrities like Jay Leno
Jay Leno
James Douglas Muir "Jay" Leno is an American stand-up comedian and television host.From 1992 to 2009, Leno was the host of NBC's The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. Beginning in September 2009, Leno started a primetime talk show, titled The Jay Leno Show, which aired weeknights at 10:00 p.m. ,...
, Neil Diamond
Neil Diamond
Neil Leslie Diamond is an American singer-songwriter with a career spanning over five decades from the 1960s until the present....
, and Elton John
Elton John
Sir Elton Hercules John, CBE, Hon DMus is an English rock singer-songwriter, composer, pianist and occasional actor...
.
He also hand-painted a pair of PT Cruisers
Chrysler PT Cruiser
The Chrysler PT Cruiser is a retro styled compact automobile launched by Chrysler as a 5-door hatchback in early 2000 and as a 2-door convertible in early 2005 ....
that were commissioned by Daimler-Chrysler that were driven across the U.S. and exhibited at the Cannes Film Festival
Cannes Film Festival
The Cannes International Film Festival , is an annual film festival held in Cannes, France, which previews new films of all genres including documentaries from around the world. Founded in 1946, it is among the world's most prestigious and publicized film festivals...
as part of a worldwide promotional tour. One vehicle was auctioned for the charity Operation Smile
Operation Smile
Operation Smile is a not-for-profit medical service organization based in Norfolk, Virginia , founded in 1982. A secular NGO, the children's medical charity provides cleft lip and palate repair surgeries to children worldwide, assists countries in reaching self-sufficiency with these surgeries, and...
to a private collector, and the other is in the Walter P. Chrysler Museum
Walter P. Chrysler Museum
The Walter P. Chrysler Museum, which opened in October 1999, is located in Auburn Hills, Michigan. It features many historically significant Chrysler, Dodge, Plymouth, Jeep, AMC, Nash, Hudson, and Rambler vehicles from various eras....
’s permanent collection in Michigan
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
.
Since moving to Miami from New York City in 2004, Smith has participated twice in Art Basel
Art Basel
Art Basel is an international contemporary art fair held each June in Basel, Switzerland. Similar to the Venice Biennale, it has been called "the Olympics of the art world". Art Basel features nearly 300 leading galleries from North America, Latin America, Europe, Asia and Africa...
, as well as other solo and group gallery exhibitions.
In 2009, Smith was chosen as the first artist to "Paint on Pink". He painted on pink material recycled from the Pink Project, the art installation that launched Brad Pitt's Make It Right Foundation New Orleans
Make It Right Foundation New Orleans
- Organization Overview :In December 2006, Brad Pitt founded Make It Right to rebuild 150 safe, energy-efficient and affordable homes for families from New Orleans Lower 9th Ward who lost everything to Hurricane Katrina...
. The artwork created from this project and all of the proceeds were donated to Make It Right, whose purpose is to help "residents of New Orleans' Lower 9th Ward rebuild their lives and community in the wake of Hurricane Katrina."
Work
Smith’s experience at the Pratt Institute reflected the toughness of New York, where he honed his figure drawing skills and learned what it meant to be an artist. New York City and Pratt gave birth to the maturing visual language of Smith, one that embraces the traditions of draftsmanship, dedication to craft, observational drawing, and the foundation of the master works of art history. At the same time, the visual language was mixed with the purely modern influences of graffitiGraffiti
Graffiti is the name for images or lettering scratched, scrawled, painted or marked in any manner on property....
, hip-hop, post pop and the vast sea of advertising, commercial and designed visuals that are part of the everyday experience in New York City.
Smith’s artwork embraces the classic skills of drawing and painting with the balance of a modern mindset. It gives off the feeling of movement with its bright and bold colors and shapes that jump right off the canvas. His art becomes a map of travels and experiences, a visual diary of the artist and his time and place in the continuous development of art.
Mark T Smith’s artwork includes:
- Jungian universal archetypes, the symbols of universal truths
- The influences of great western masters
- The savvy of the images of the street
Quotes
- "Art is more than just the hallmarks of Postmodernism — irony-concept, impact and intellect. Its “beauty” needs to rest on more than just those things…art must offer something greater than mere criticism to land it somewhere closer to the soul, to the place where true art climbs inside of you and illuminates something within. Art should leave you breathless, amazed and wondering, perhaps even terrified or furious — art should bring you somewhere miraculous within yourself — somewhere you may not have ever known existed."
- "Fill your life with experiences. Fill your life with loves, lost and hard won. Fill your life with your passions. Fill your life with friends and family. Fill your life with confidence of selecting the right path to walk. Fill your life — That is what I have done for most of my life. This is how I make images — I fill the page."