Ed Smith’s drawings and bronze sculptures are primarily involved with the mythic and heroic aspects of the Artist and man, reminding the viewer how to retain humanity in a world where oftentimes the wrong individuals are idealized. Traditionally, bronze figures served to commemorate the past, present and future, and prompted viewers to remember great deeds, great men or actions; they embodied the dreams and hopes of men, cities, states and countries. Smith’s sculptures attempt to bring into focus what we overlook as well as to create a sense of historical continuity with the great art of the past. His drawings, depicting beggars of Venice, echo the tragedy of the homeless and depict characters very similar to Artists, being outsiders beyond the scope of conventions.
Ed Smith is a Guggenheim Fellow in Sculpture and Drawing and an Associate of the Royal British Society of Sculptors. He holds degrees from Columbia University and Pratt Institute, and is a professor of art at Marist College. Smith has had over 45 solo exhibitions and his work is represented in public and private collections in the United States and abroad.