Influenced by modernist architecture, from which he draws a specific way of viewing painting as an object—a simple form on a wall—Leslie Smith III distinguishes himself through an artistic practice that cannot be confined to the realm of abstraction alone. Instead, he adheres to a demanding and unique narrative form. Having abandoned the human figure, which the artist finds cumbersome, he prefers the flexibility of the abstract signifier, as it allows him to transcend and move beyond the overly simplistic reflex of recognition. Abstraction becomes an ideal tool for him to represent human experience and translate the connections that unite or constrain individuals.
Consequently, his shaped canvas forms bold graphic connections, with vibrant colors and subtle gradations that convey a deeply felt, human poetic essence. Within this intricate interplay, the core of Leslie Smith III’s painting is the aspiration to express both genuine and abstract emotions—both authentic and constructed.
Leslie Smith III contends, this oscillation between the sentimental and the ideal cultivates a rich in-between space, allowing him to achieve a wider array of intentions and an enhanced sense of humanism. Smith’s artwork aims to portray the nuanced, more complex landscape in which we live.
