June Issue 2001
Art Cellar Gallery in Banner Elk, NC, Features Works by Greg Smith
The Art Cellar Gallery
in Banner Elk, NC, is pleased to present an exhibition by Greg
Smith on view through June 24. The exhibit will feature Smith's
most recent body of work, paintings in acrylic, entitled Appalachian
Anecdotes, Tales, and Truisms. This will mark the artist's
second Solo Exhibition with The Art Cellar Gallery.
Smith's artwork is already being heavily pursued by the area's most prominent collectors. Patrons consistently return to view his latest pieces, eager to gain insight for an artist who is sure to make a mark on the artistic community of Western North Carolina. As a young, hungry artist, Smith's painterly portrayals, whether it be an Appalachian landscape, a Native American portrait or a trompe l'oeil piece, are appreciated and admired by artists and collectors alike. Smith's style of artwork has emerged after years of personal development, as well as under the tutelage of some of NC's finest artists.
Smith relies upon his familiarity with the subjects in his landscapes as a source of authenticity. His fresh view of the Appalachian mountains combined with the rich cultural heritage of the places depicted in his works secures his artwork as a passionate chronicle of life in the truest sense of the word. As a NC native, Smith's upbringing in the little valley community of Matney, between Valle Crucis and Banner Elk, has endowed him with a passion for these mountains and the traditional customs of the people who have lived and breathed here.
Smith's sensibility with these landscapes captures the subtle, narrative aspects of each scenario. Every setting is a canvas that holds a story, whether it deals with people or places, and Smith's technique lends itself to essential colors and loose forms. The line of perspective and horizon in his work is intriguing to the viewer because unlike many of today's artists, Smith's clarity lies in the points farthest from the viewer. What is in the foreground is more often the softest in color and shape, while objects in the background become precise and almost photographic or granular in texture. He glazes each of his canvases heavily using acrylic paints and works in a primary color palette. By mixing paints in assorted ratios, he can achieve a broad spectrum of hues perfectly suited to the seasonal changes in Appalachia.
Along with each painting, Smith is able to
convey the significance historically and socially in verbal form.
His stories retell the sights and sounds of his upbringing and
keep the nostalgic way-of-life current in our artistic world.
Visitors to the gallery will be informed and intrigued by Smith's
personal renditions of significant happenings as pictured in the
paintings.
Be sure to visit the Art Cellar Gallery to view the paintings
of Greg Smith before they vanish into the hands of eager collectors
and newcomers!
For more info check our NC Commercial Gallery listings or call
the gallery at 828/898-5175 or e-mail at (artcellar@infoave.net).
Mailing Address: Carolina Arts, P.O. Drawer
427, Bonneau, SC 29431
Telephone, Answering Machine and FAX: 843/825-3408
E-Mail: carolinart@aol.com
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