All art is exorcism. I paint dreams and visions too; the dreams and visions of my time. Painting is the effort to produce order; order in yourself. There is much chaos in me, much chaos in our time.

(Otto Dix)

Mindy Solomon Gallery is pleased to present Ali Smith’s second solo exhibition in Miami, Electric Prism. Embarking on a new vibrant shift in her artistry, Smith states: The new paintings in “Electric Prism” mark a shift in my work, pushing the range of built up, complex surfaces with heavy, sculptural paint flourishes and detailed doodles. Generally comprised of hybrid spaces: part paint, part sculpture, part abstract landscape, the paintings are a culmination of several years of work. In paintings such as “The Great Divide,” a large-scale canvas, areas of florescent color clash with passages of thick, almost frosting like paint, to create a vivid, kinetic space. Often referencing parts of bodies or architectural structures, forms come together and then separate. Visceral and multi-layered, my new paintings are a sort of rebellion against the visual perfection we experience on so many levels, and force the viewer to slow down to experience the space of the painting.

Smith’s vibrant palette and spectacular use of brushwork pull the viewer into the swirling spectacle of each canvas. Areas of complexity give way to larger expanses of form and color. Each work complements the other although no two are the same. It is a rich, deeply considered body of work.

Ali Smith lives and works in Long Beach, CA. She earned a B.S. in Studio Art at Skidmore College in Saratoga Springs, NY, studying in Paris for her junior year, and went on to complete an M.F.A. in Drawing and Painting at California State University, Long Beach.