Amy Li Projects Presents Third NY Solo Exhibition, 4/5

Amy Li Projects is pleased to present the third New York solo exhibition of Erin Smith, a painter from Sydney, Australia. The exhibition will open on Wednesday, April 5 and be on view through May 14. The artist will be present at the opening reception onWednesday, April 5 from 7-9pm.

Up the Creek Looking for Paddles will comprise of a selection of paintings with Smith's expressive style of loosely suggested portraits and some fully realized renderings. Her works in oil are as evocative as those in acrylic and ink, and the contrast of light washes and heavy layers result in mysterious and ephemeral qualities.

Hinting at human figures, appropriating cultural iconography and reexamining locations once visited, she alternates between palettes of pale pinks and bright yellows, and individual or grouped figures that are either fully defined or headless. By avoiding photo-realistic clarity, she creates a conflict between the gestural and the representational. For example, in Walk (2017), Smith depicts a group of soldiers in black and white against a background white and pastels. While their bodies and uniforms are detailed, their heads are completely eliminated to either soften sinister connotations or create a paradox for viewers.

Smith previously exhibited at the Lawrence Alkin Gallery in London and Berry Campbell Gallery in New York. She studied at the New York Studio School and received a Bachelor of Design Arts from the Australian Academy of Design. Her work has been featured in Forbes Magazine, In Style, Juxtapoz, Whitehot Magazine, and ArtSponge.

Amy Li Projects is located at 166 Mott Street, New York, NY 10013. Gallery hours are Weds-Sun 12-6pm and by appointment: 347-981-2715. www.amy-li.com