MICHAEL E. SMITH

Michael E. Smith uses objects as language. Collection and selection are at the crux of his practice, as he often begins with what he refers to as “material sketches” in his studio. In Smith’s hands, the anonymous becomes intimate. Consumer products bear the traces of use, suggesting both their former lives and functions. Simultaneously, ephemeral materials taken from the natural world are transformed through Smith’s intervention - taxidermy is encased in resin, or elsewhere, coral, leaves, and fossils are shaped to resemble recognisable forms. Brought together in Smith sculptures, these components enact a tenuous balance between preservation and degradation, illustrating time as both a generative force, and one of destruction. While these combinations evoke the waste and erosion that defines our culture, they also are deeply rooted in the everyday, building a distinct emotive resonance, which oscillates between humour and despair. Smith alters the spaces of his exhibitions, through the addition of sound, as well as alterations to existing architectural features and lighting. In turn, site becomes an active participant in the shaping of his work, as his interventions not only affect his works themselves, but what surrounds them. Negative space, or the absence between works, becomes a material in itself. As each element of Smith’s installations brings its own accumulated histories and referents, Smith’s exhibitions become a form of sculptural prose, pointing towards the fragility of our lived environment.

Michael E. Smith’s exhibition at 55 Walker was developed in parallel to his project_A Handful of Eggs_, a series of curated events at Giorno Poetry Systems presented from April 11 - 13. Conceived as what the artist describes as “4-D mixtapes,” the five events aim to create unique, intimate environments, incorporating sculpture, light, as well as musicians Smith loves. For the full schedule and tickets, visit Giorno Poetry Systems.

Michael E. Smith lives and works in Providence. Past solo exhibitions of Smith’s work include Kunstmuseum Winterthur, 2024, Henry Moore Institute, Leeds, UK, 2023, Pinakothek der Moderne, Munich, 2021, secession, Vienna, 2020, Kunsthalle Basel, Basel, 2018, MoMA PS1, New York, 2017, 500 Capp Street, San Francisco, 2017, S.M.A.K., Ghent, 2017, Kunstverein Hannover, Hannover, 2015, De Appel, Amsterdam, 2015, Sculpture Center, Long Island City, 2015, The Power Station, Dallas, 2014, and La Triennale di Milano, Milan, 2014, among others. Additionally, Michael E. Smith was included in Quiet as it’s Kept, the 2022 Whitney Biennial, Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, May You Live in Interesting Times, 58th edition of the Venice Biennale, Venice, 2019, and the 2012 Whitney Biennial, Whitney Museum of American Art, New York. Smith’s work is held in the collections of the Hammer Museum, Los Angeles, Ludwig Forum, Aachen, Germany, MCA Chicago, Museum National de Monaco, Museum of Art, Rhode Island School of Design, Providence, SMAK, Ghent, Walker Art Center, Minneapolis, and the Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, among others.