Aaron Smith is known for referencing art history in both his painting style and compositions. His new paintings’ color and surfaces are liberated of historic constraints. By taking such liberties with the images’ presentation, the artist transforms still life paintings into uniquely contemporary symbolic portraits. Derived from opulent objects; Gothic and Baroque sculpture originally created to spiritually inspire; the paintings strip the all-male characters of context, suspending them in an existential vacuum. His figurative oil paintings have earned him solo shows at some of LA and Chicago’s finer galleries.
"I first met Aaron Smith a little over 20 years ago, when he applied for a job at the gallery where I was then an assistant manager. It was La Luz de Jesus Gallery, we hired him, and the rest is history. Aaron is one of the most gifted figurative painters alive. His ability to move from mannerist to symbolic while infusing elements of the Baroque and Rococo in pieces that practically drip with art history references that are impossibly contemporary is unique. He's also helped shape the current pop surrealist landscape as the Illustration Chair at Art Center. He's a rare example of an incredibly talented artist who is also a great teacher."