Koplin del Rio is pleased to present an exhibition of new paintings by Los Angeles artist Aaron Smith.

Smith emerges from the studio after more than three years with a series of enigmatic oil paintings that revel in contradictions. 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. Blown up to sometimes monumental proportions, the figures, rather than looking majestic, seem exposed and fragile. Turbulent brushwork and vibrant colors energize the paintings’ surfaces while threatening to overwhelm the spiritual ambience as well as the figures’ structure.

While Aaron Smith is known for referencing art history in both his painting style and compositions, the 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. Among the portraits are works depicting floral and animal forms, deepening the show’s atmosphere of mystery.

Los Angeles residents might recognize some of the relics depicted from their places in the Los Angeles County Museum, as well as the J. Paul Getty collection. Other figures grace museums in San Francisco, New York and Paris.

For the past ten years, Aaron Smith has been an Associate Professor at  Art Center College of Design in Pasadena where he also serves as his department’s Associate Chair. He has been exhibited in Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco, and Chicago. This is his ninth solo exhibition, his third at Koplin del Rio Gallery.