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American Abstract Painter born in
the State of Rhode
Island,
the youngest of four children, WL Smith grew up
on the Southern
California
coast during a time of profound social and
political events in the late 1960's and 70's.
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Smith's
mother's family emigrated from Portugal to the United States in the mid 1900's
settling in Rhode Island.
His
father, a Los Angeles businessman,
non-profit organizer, and muscian is a
descendent of Anne Hutchinson, notable 1600's
settler to England's American Colonies in
Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and New
Netherlands.
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| With a
background in economics, political
science, and psychology, Smith’s
corporate career included positions as |
corporate trainer, and in
risk management, finance, and
administration within most facets of the
health care benefits industry. Considered
by some as a recluse, in 2000 Smith began
a Internet based company providing Web development services to
clients involved in the arts.
Smith
has been active in a wide range of
progressive causes including the initial
response to the lack of a response to
the AIDS crisis in the early 1980's, health care and campaign finance reform, and served |
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four
consecutive years as a member of the
Board and Art Director of the Laguna
Canyon Nature Conservancy.
Smith's
passions include human and animal rights,
history, astrophysics, genetics, sociology, neuropsychology, national
politics, most bodies of law, ethics, environmentalism, sustainable design, nature, and
photography.
Smith's
list of most regarded people includes his
mother with strong humanitarian ideals and who
passed away in 2003, |
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of a wealth of debris
collected from the local beach, and
objects gifted by supporters. Smith
creates his conceptual paintings on the
floor of his studio using non-traditional
methods like hands, trowels, flatware,
rags, gravity, etc.
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| Best
known for his mixed media paintings on
canvas, Smith has also worked in
sculpture made from cast-off materials,
paints |
large
scale architectural surfaces, and
consults on interior design and landscape
design projects.
Smith
spent most of 2008 on hiatus with family
in New York and Connecticut, and had the good
fortune to be on 42nd Street in Manhattan
on election |
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night as
the entire city erupted in celebration
with the news that Barack Obama had been elected
our 44th president.
After
returning from the east coast in early
2009, looking for a |
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slower pace, Smith relocated
the studio once again, this time off Palm
Canyon Drive in Palm Springs, California,
located in the spectacular Coachella
Valley, 111 miles (177km) east of Los Angeles, and surrounded by
the San Bernardino Mountains, the Santa
Rosa Mountains, and the San Jacinto
Mountains. µ
"I imagine it
could be said that in many ways, much of
what goes into my work is post-consumer
waste." |
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SOLO
2005 Indifference
– Portfolio; Long Beach.
2005 Left Behind – Open
Gallery; Long Beach.
2002 Yesterday – Portfolio;
Long Beach.
1998 In A NutsHell –
Artscape; Long Beach.
1997 Hindsight – Portfolio;
Long Beach.
1995 Degrees of Perspective
– TOMA; Long Beach.
1994 Alternative Perception –
Portfolio; Long Beach.
1994 Beyond Abstraction –
City Frameworks; Long Beach.
FUNDRAISERS
2010 Artists
for Animals "Save-A-Pet
Fundraiser" – Back Street Art District;
Palm Springs.
2006 United Care Charity Auction
“An Evening Of Wine And Song” –
Cal State Long Beach.
2002 S.E.E.D. Charity Auction
– Eckstrom Gallery; Laguna Beach.
JURIED
1992 Public
Corporation for the Arts, Juried Exhibition
– LBCC Art Gallery. Juror: Peter Frank.
Awarded for "Silent Screams, 1991".
GROUP
1996 Unveiled
– Dark's Art Parlour; Santa Ana.
1993 Uncooperative Abstraction
– The Project Box / ArtWeek; Los Angeles.
1992 Holiday Exhibition –
Portfolio; Long Beach.
1992 Reflections of the Urban Environment
– Studio of David DiMichele; Long Beach.
1991 The Nature Of Importance –
Portfolio; Long Beach.
1991 Opening Exhibition –
Wells Gallery; Riverside.
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Schoenkopf,
Rebecca; Long Beach Rocks, O.C.
Weekly, 3-28-97, p 27.
Gottlieb, Shirle; Monochromatic
Message, Press Telegram,
3-18-97, pages C1/C2.
Buck, Lisa; Melancholic
‘Hindsight’ Shows Surprising Insight, The
Downtown Gazette, 3-17-97.
Yoon, Linda; Dark's Art Parlour,
The Periodical of Dark Art,
Issue 3, p 8.
Jones, Inigo; Caffeinated Art, The
Catalyst Newspaper. March 1994.
Metivier, George; The Missing
Link, The Marina News, 3-3-94, p
9.
Montgomery, Tiffany; Artist
Paints What He Can't Scream, The Signal,
2-2-94, p 2.
Sasway, Mark; Alternative
Perception, The Event, 3-10-94,
p 6.
Scarborough, James;
Uncooperative Abstraction, the ProjectBox
/ ArtWeek, 12/93 |
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Maira
Gallegos; Dr. Jonathan and Erica Brower; Denice
J. Jenkins; Donna Mae Bernhardt; Buck and Janet
Roberson; Mark Sasway; Matthew Lee Rethmeier;
Ryan Taylor Aberg; Kenneth Allen Trainer Jr. Jr.;
Charlene Peterson; Tom Major; Rachel Lillian
Goldman; C. Todd Burton; Marga Kansteiner; Davis
and Andrea Krumins; Rachael Una; Daniel Martin
Mellitz; Erica Brooke Aberg; Duane Osterlind;
Dave Koehne; Andrea M. Sciarrotta; Michael A.
Rose; Sharron Amaris Hefner; Steve Bernhardt; Mr.
and Mrs. Moo Park; Tom and Maria Scheupbach;
Kerstin Kansteiner; Ranell Cutter Racine; Kari
Bernhardt; Susan M. Mills; H. Rosenberg; The
Estate of Dorothea Ann Smith; The Estate of Mr.
Ronald K. Brown; Dr. and Mrs. William Slater;
Michael and Wendy McVicker; MSW; Tarra Thomas;
The Estate of BC Whited II; Terri Quam; Mr. Dan
Gallegos; Mr. Richard Roude; Ceresa Michelle
Aberg; James and Linda Williams; Mr. Norman
Feeney; Kristi Ann Bernhardt; Mr. and Mrs. Herman
Velarde; The WL Smith Revocable Living Trust.
Are
you a collector but not listed here? To
be added, provide us with the title of the
painting and the name of your collection. |
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