Rene Smith

Region: Northeast

My paintings explore the idea of a perfect moment, both in the lushness of the actual moment and how it fades over time. I am interested in the relationship between physical objects and longing- specifically the experience of looking at an old photograph and the idea of it containing a perfect world or lost moment. I paint from photographs that I take myself, both solidifying and altering the photographic image. The handmade quality of the paintings is very important as well. The painting is made moment by moment, slowly over time and these paintings are also intended to be looked at slowly over time. Our world is full of fast images- photographs, video, tv- and the painting is a slow, almost painfully still object in comparison. A slow painting about love exists in contrast to many things we see and experience, and is a way to make visible and examine the fleeting nature of time.