ISSUE THREE. FALL 2019
ISSUE THREE
FALL 2019
A COLLECTION OF IMAGES, PROJECTS, AND THOUGHTS FROM THE STUDIO OF PHILLIP K. SMITH III
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What. When. Where “The Light Show” Denver Art Museum, Denver, CO
ON VIEW THORUGH
MAY 3, 2020
Co-curated by Rebecca Hart, Vicki and Kent Logan Curator of Modern and Contemporary Art, and Jorge Rivas Pérez, Frederick and Jan Mayer Curator of Latin American Art. “The Light Show” at the Denver Art Museum focuses on the quest by humanity and artists to understand physical light in the natural world as well as metaphorical, spiritual, and divine representations of light. Included in the exhibition is Lucid Stead: Elements #7, which is part of DAM’s permanent collection via a donation by Dr. Loren G. Lipson.
“The Edge of Light”
Flatworks
Huntington Beach Art Center, Huntington Beach, CA
PKS3 Studio, Palm Desert, CA
SEP 21 – OCT 26, 2019
NOV 9, 2019 – JAN 11, 2020
Curated by Peter Blake, “The Edge of Light: Historic and Contemporary Perspectives on California Abstraction” surveys California abstraction from mid-century to the present focusing on hard-edge abstraction and Light and Space—the two key elements of West Coast Minimalism. The show features both historic and contemporary artists including Lita Albuquerque, Peter Alexander, Stephanie Bachiero, Larry Bell, Mary Corse, Tony Delap, Joe Goode, Robert Irwin, Phillip K. Smith, III, De Wain Valentine, and others.
Since the creation of Aperture in 2010, Smith has been developing his Lightworks series—a series of illuminated acrylic forms that create intimate experiences with color, form, surface, and change. Continuing this series, the Flatworks included in this exhibition will showcase the never before seen Flat Lozenges and the next 6’ diameter Flat Torus works.
10 Columns Inaugural Exhibition at Bridge Projects
OPENING RECEPTION
NOV 8, 2019 5 - 8 pm
Bridge Projects events in association with 10 Columns
Bridge Projects, Hollywood CA
Bridge Projects, Hollywood CA
OCT 12, 2019 – FEB 16, 2020 Commissioned for the inaugural exhibition of Bridge Projects, 10 Columns features Smith’s signature mirrored surfaces and dynamic shifting colors. Expanding on past site-specific installations, the artist adjoined thirty mirrored rectilinear forms to the columns of Bridge Projects’ site at Santa Monica Blvd and Highland creating an immersive spatial experience composed of reflection and color. As part of Bridge Projects’ mission, there will be a series of free public programming planned around each of their exhibitions. Please see the list to the right for programming associated with 10 Columns.
Dan Cameron & Phillip K. Smith III Discussion with Book Opening for 10 Columns
Josef Albers Workshop Saturday/Sunday October 19, 20. 2pm – 5pm Michael Govan on Dan Flavin: Light in Sacred Space Friday, October 25, 2019. 5:30pm - 8pm Mesoamerican Light: Light in Sacred Space Saturday, November 16, 2019. 5:30pm - 8pm
Bridge Projects, Hollywood CA
Lita Albuquerque: Light in Sacred Space Thursday, December 12, 2019 5:30pm - 8pm
DEC 14, 2019. 3PM – 5PM
Please visit www.bridgeprojects.com for more information.
Special thanks to: the Bridge Projects team (Cara Lewis, Linnea Spransy, Vicki Phung Smith), Howard and Roberta Ahmanson, Rebecca Hart, Richard Davey, Dan Cameron, Angela Bryant, Peter Blake, Christianne Hanych and Angela Hanka at Lapis Press, The Art Collective Fine Art Services, Elder Art Services
Credits: Photography: Lance Gerber Studio @lance.gerber Graphic Design: Mariana Pariani @girlpilot
PKS3 Studio. For all inquiries regarding commissions, sales, press or studio visits, please contact arlene@pks3.com
Page 14 image: Courtesy UAP WWW.PKS3.COM PHILLIPKSMITH3
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ISSUE THREE. FALL 2019
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On August 29th this summer, I visited The Lightning Field for the first time. That afternoon, the sky shifted from patchy clouds to wisps of rain to dark thunderheads, like only a New Mexico sky can. A double rainbow positioned itself perfectly over the 100 year old cabin and the installation itself. The next morning, I watched all 400 rods present themselves against the high plains landscape, lit up with the golden light of sunrise. As I walked from the east to the west side, about three-quarters of the installation disappeared into that same landscape.
—Phillip K. Smith III
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10 Columns October 12, 2019 – February 16, 2020 Inaugural Exhibition at Bridge Projects, Hollywood, CA. 10 Columns defines an ever-changing spatial experience in which projected and reflected color shifts, merges, and floats along a horizontal datum. The installation is composed of 30 mirrored volumes cantilevered from ten columns in the 7,000sf space. Conceived as a modular system of color and reflection, the 30 volumes are all the same height (42”) and are divided equally into three groups of ten at each of the three lengths (16”, 26” and 36”). The volumes and mirrored panels adhere to a system that provides for varied configurations focused on three corner conditions that alter perceptions of space, color, and materiality. The unique color program specifically created for 10 Columns defines varied spatial experiences through the brightness, location, and selection of color. At times, the entire space is immersed in deep, dark blue or all mirrors facing west are united in yellow. Sometimes, most of the space is dark, as pure, unlit, mirrored surfaces, while a singular column glows from the corner. The color program’s varied conditions seamlessly interweave at a slow, meditative pace, allowing for objective acknowledgement from afar or engaged abstraction of reflected color from up close.
ISSUE THREE. FALL 2019
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With the creation of 10 Columns, I’m honored to set the precedent for Bridge Projects’ mission of focusing on artists that engage with art history, spirituality, living religious traditions, and contemporary art practices. Light has been the primary focus of my practice from the beginning and the opportunity to create a site specific installation that takes over the entire new exhibition space has allowed me to further my artistic investigations at a new scale.
—Phillip K. Smith III
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I’ve always been interested in the idea of floating color— that a plane of color could be free to push, pull, shift and move, not grounded by any construct.
—Phillip K. Smith III
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10 Columns: Small, Medium, Large Dimensions variable (as per plan view diagram below) Glass, aluminum, LED lighting, electronic components, unique color program
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The 10 Collumns installation will happen once. It will never be precisely replicated as experienced in the Hollywood, CA exhibition space. After the installation, the thirty mirrored volumes will be reconfigured into nine individual wall-mounted works at an edition of two each. These wall mounted works celebrate the 10 Columns installation’s merging of reflection, color and space within a 90 degree angle cantilevered off of the wall.
—Phillip K. Smith III
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ISSUE THREE. FALL 2019
10 Columns: Small-Medium, 3’-6” x 3’-7” x 2’-1”, 107 x 109 x 63 cm
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Flat Torus Variant 1 96” diameter x 4”, 244 x 10cm Acrylic, LED lighting, carbon fiber, aluminum, electronic components, unique color program
Commissioned for the collection of Francisco and Alba Medina in Mexico City, housed in a new Rojkind Architectos-designed home, this 8’-0” diameter Flat Torus greatly expands the scale of the nine original and in process 6’-0” diameter Flat Torus works. Continuing his interest in the “in between” colors that can only be seen in the lit sky, Smith has created a unique color program for this work that undulates across more earthen and ambient colorations while weaving in the distinct colors of the west and east skies of sunrise and sunset.
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Smith discussing the 10 Columns prototype with Brant Underwood and Jamie Perrow in the UAP fabrication workshop in Long Island City, NY.
ISSUE THREE. FALL 2019
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Smith at work in his studio on the LED lighting panels for “10 Columns” with parts to “Flat Torus” behind him.