BIG BOY /Solo Spring Show

Gordon Smedt | BIG BOY | Solo Spring Show

Whitney Modern Contemporary Fine Art Gallery in Los Gatos presents Big Boy, a solo show by Northern California artist Gordon Smedt. Pulling nostalgic images from his youth, Big Boy incorporates objects that Smedt grew up with and has collected over the years. From super hero undershirts to colorful knick-knacks, Smedt’s richly painted and charming works are reminiscent of his suburban childhood yet he makes them relevant to today's contemporary art scene.

Smedt's formal training focused on the figure, but after graduating from art school the lack of human models left him with the gift to paint everything else in the world. He paints what intrigues and excites him personally, which are often objects familiar to most of us but far from obvious as typical subject matter.

The majority of his subjects are inanimate objects yet he's never considered himself a "still-life" painter. Rather a figurative or portrait painter who doesn't necessarily paint humans. Smedt explains "I can tell a more interesting narrative by painting clothing rather than a person wearing them". He feels his bold large-scale canvases are an important aspect to his work. "I'm bringing life back to these subjects and the large scale gives power and importance to something often forgotten, overlooked, or discarded".
Native to the San Francisco Bay Area, Smedt first studied at San Jose State University. He later graduated from Art Center College of Design in Pasadena receiving a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree where he was twice awarded merit scholarships. Smedt's paintings have been showing in distinguished art galleries for thirty years and are collected internationally.

Big Boy is showing from May 9 to May 28. Artist reception Thursday May 11, 5:30 - 9:00 PM at Whitney Modern Contemporary Fine Art Gallery. 24 N Santa Cruz Avenue, 2nd Floor Los Gatos CA 95030 (408) 402-5922