Exhibitions Dee Smart (Guest Artist) What Lies Beneath 2nd February 2021 - 27th February 2021

VIRTUAL TOUR

What Lies Beneath
Artist Statement

"The sea is a haven, it is my haven. It’s a fragile, beautiful place that provides freedom beyond the physical. I have an overwhelming sense of liberation when I’m wrapped in the cool salt-water blanket of the ocean. My entire life I have been drawn to the water – the way it makes me feel, the weightlessness and the intrigue from the beautiful to the sublime.

When I left school, I studied ballet at the Victorian College of the Arts. I have always loved watching and feeling the body’s movement. Gravities’ effects dissolve in saltwater – our imagination is matched with the physical - we can move and dive and be immersed in a world that is completely ‘other’ to our existence on land. Our ability to communicate, the sounds we hear and the colours we see all morph into a simpler more primal state.

As a race we have the ability to do great things – we also have a spectacular record of destroying things that we consider superfluous to our needs. Art is an important conduit for reminding us of what we have and what we will lose. This extends beyond clean water and all that lives beneath the surface. The potential loss for us is cerebral as it is physical.

When I make these paintings, in my mind I’m below the waves. Free-flowing washes of colours and layers give way to a focus on sea creatures or coral structures. They are made with a physicality- intuitively responding to the marks that flow. Whilst the work in this exhibition is a deeply personal exploration of the seascape of my mind, fragments of my memory will be fragments of yours. Ultimately this is a shared experience mirroring the inherent essence of the ocean- it’s universal importance to us all."

Dee Smart 2021

Dee Smart moved from Adelaide to Melbourne as a teenager to study ballet at the Victorian College of Arts. Further studies in acting in Sydney led to a successful career in film, television and stage. Following the birth of her first child, Smart began pursuing visual arts where a passion for life drawing led directly to a painting career that has gained significant momentum in recent years.

In 2017 and 2018, Smart was selected as a finalist in the Archibald Prize—her first two attempts. Both works achieved notoriety for their pop sensibility and dynamic palette. Her 2018 Archibald portrait was ultimately collected by one of the most prominent private collections of female artists in Australia. She has also been a finalist in the Paddington Art Prize and, recently, the 2019 Portia Geach Memorial Award— Australia’s most important art prize for portraiture by women artists. These, along with success in other significant prizes this year, underline her rising star. Recently, the prestigious Bennett Collection in the United States included Smart’s work in their collection, making her one of only three Australian artists to be acknowledged.

DEE SMART PROFILE
DOWNLOAD BIO / CV (PDF)

Dee Smart
Blue Bottle Kiss 2020
watercolour & collage on paper
112cm x 212cm (framed size 133.5 x 235cm)

Dee Smart
Flying Jellies and Octopus 2020
watercolour & collage on paper
114cm x 188cm (framed size 133.5 x 207cm)

Dee Smart
The Guardian 2020
watercolour & collage on paper
112cm x 114cm (framed size 133.6 x 131.8cm)

Dee Smart
Sea Flowers 2020
watercolour & collage on paper
113cm x 110cm (framed size 127 x 127cm)

Dee Smart
Octopus Garden 2020
watercolour & collage on paper
151cm x 106cm (framed size 168 x 122cm)

Dee Smart
Secret Seahorse Business 2020
watercolour & collage on paper
101cm x 66cm (framed size 120.5 x 85.6cm)

Dee Smart
What Lies Beneath I 2020
watercolour, collage on board and epoxy resin
57cm x 38cm (framed size 59.5 x 40.3cm)

Dee Smart
What Lies Beneath II 2020
watercolour, collage on board and epoxy resin
57cm x 38cm (framed size 59.5 x 40.3cm)

Dee Smart
What Lies Beneath IV 2020
watercolour, collage on board and epoxy resin
57cm x 38cm (framed size 59.5 x 40.5cm)

Dee Smart
What Lies Beneath V 2020
watercolour, collage on board and epoxy resin
56cm x 35cm (framed size 59 x 37.6cm)

Dee Smart
What Lies Beneath VI 2020
watercolour, collage on board and epoxy resin
57cm x 37cm (framed size 59 x 39cm)

Dee Smart
What Lies Beneath VII 2020
watercolour, collage on board and epoxy resin
58cm x 38cm (framed size 60 x 41cm)

Dee Smart
What Lies Beneath VIII 2020
watercolour, collage on board and epoxy resin
56cm x 38cm (framed size 58.5 x 40.5cm)

Dee Smart
What Lies Beneath IX 2020
watercolour, collage on board and epoxy resin
56cm x 38cm (framed size 59 x 40.3cm)

Dee Smart
Coral Garden I 2020
watercolour, collage on board and epoxy resin
77cm x 58cm (framed size 79.2 x 58.8cm)

Dee Smart
Coral Garden II 2020
watercolour, collage on board and epoxy resin
77cm x 56cm (framed size 79.4 x 60.4cm)

Dee Smart
Golden Seahorse 2020
watercolour & collage on paper
84cm x 57cm (framed size 98.2 x 70.6cm)

Dee Smart
Translucent Seahorse 2020
watercolour & collage on paper
80cm x 56cm (framed size 98.2 x 70.6cm)