Statement:
Geometric Abstraction is the oeuvre I have evolved to over the span of my creative career. The purity of line, shape and color is central to the simplicity and complexity inherent to my current work, whether a painting, sculpture or construct in glass and light. These clean and beautiful compositions both soothe and challenge me, helping to quell the omnipresent “noise” of our times that rings daily in my ears. While geometry has always been part of my creative output, my recent focus combines flat shapes and monochromatic color to explore perception and optical illusion. With visual psychology and math elements present in each work, these seemingly simple constructs imbue movement, encouraging levels of inspection and subsequent introspection. This approach cultivates a clarity for me that is extremely rewarding, inspiring infinite iterations thereof for years to come.
Biography:
Ralston Fox Smith grew up in New Hampshire and attended Amherst College where he earned a B.F.A. He continued his art studies years later at the Santa Monica College of Design, Art and Architecture, studying under abstract artist Laddie John Dill, contemporary artist and educator Lisa Adams, and Beat Generation artist George Herms. Their collaborative teaching and eccentric school atmosphere established the foundation from which Fox truly began exploring his creative vision. He is inspired by and presently lives in Asheville, North Carolina with his beautiful wife, two impressive teenagers and amazing dog.