his exhibition is Rodney Smith’s first in New York, and reflects a marriage of precise order and geometry with surrealism and eccentricity. Paul Martineau, Curator of Photographs at the J. Paul Getty Museum, describes Smith’s work “Like Lewis Carroll’s ‘Alice in Wonderland’, his photographs lead us down the rabbit hole to a fantastical place that is just beyond our reach.” Armed with recurring props including bowler hats, topiaries, bicycles, and staircases while sharing stylistic themes with René Magritte, Andrew Wyeth, and Tim Burton, Smith’s photographs encompass a carefully crafted world that is somehow both solemn and whimsical – and uniquely his own.
In addition to his commissions from the world’s leading fashion media and brands, Smith remained passionate about producing photographic prints, once stating “For me, the print is the creation, the purpose, the result of my endeavor.” Rebecca A. Senf, chief curator at the Center for Creative Photography at The University of Arizona, notes, “Smith’s distinctive photographic vision relied on his exacting technical precision . . . Knowing that all was technically in place meant that making pictures became an experience of freedom and creativity.”
Rodney Smith
September 15 – November 4, 2023
Staley-Wise Gallery
100 Crosby Street, New York, NY 10012
www.staleywise.com
Rodney Smith Reed Leaping Over Rooftop, New York, 2007
Rodney Smith Reed Perched on Airplane Wing, JFK Airport, New York, 2007
Rodney Smith Jessica on Rookery Stairs, Chicago, Illinois, 1997
Rodney Smith Collin with Clock Glasses, New York, 2005
Rodney Smith Caroline at the Top of Circular Staircase, Charleston, South Carolina, 2000
Rodney Smith Skyline, Hudson River, New York, 1995
Rodney Smith Chris Between Hedges, Packwood Estate, Warwickshire, England, 2006
Rodney Smith A.J Chasing airplane, Orange County Airport, NY, 1998
