Word: smith
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Dates: during 1990-1999
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...world dominated by alienation and decay, the collection of Rodney Smith photographs at the Pucker Gallery is like a breath of fresh air. His photography is simple and expressive, but with a touch of wit. Compared with the in-your-face, shocking, ephemeral art produced today, Smith's photographs seem very out of place. Classical in their composition and serene in their mood, each of them invites us to stop and reflect...
...Smith studied theology in addition to photography, and there is a sense of this influence in his work. The mood of each photograph is peaceful and meditative, quiet and serene, almost religious. The everyday world is left behind and is even transformed into something sacred and mystical. While most modern art would have us search our minds for the dark things waiting there, Smith's art points to the beauty and possibility of life in a whimsical but thoughtful...
...Smith works exclusively in black-and-white, but only after a twenty-year career that also included work in color. This devotion to black-and-white makes him quite unique, especially because he is a professional, not solely an artist...
...works in this collection are commissioned pieces. Strangely, the difference between professional and artistic photographs is not detectable. There is as much power and mystery in the photographs which adorned the pages of a Neiman Marcus catalog as in those made as artworks. In fact, according to Smith, it's in commissioned pieces that one can assess a photographer's competence and skill. Only a truly skilled artist will be able to work with the limitations imposed by a client and still produce an image full of meaning...
...integrity results in serious penalties. Surely those we trust (at least a little) to run this country can be asked to adhere to a standard of integrity, as well. Otherwise, it seems superficial to expect integrity and honesty of us now. Perhaps I sound a little like Mr. Smith. But Mr. Smith only came to realize the sad truth after he went to Washington. We have the sad honor of being able to decry the lack of integrity from the outside because it is so blatant...