JEFFREY SMART: A CASE STUDY

BIOGRAPHY AND
Regarded as one of Australias greatest artists, Jeffrey Smart, was known for his iconic works that had a strong urban vision. Dubbed the Master of Stillness, his masterpieces featured industrial wastelands and concrete streetscapes with strong precision towards composition and geometry. Smart was born in Adelaide on the 26 th of July 1921. As a young man he aspired to be an Architect, however this was disrupted with the high expense of studying at an Architecture school. He instead turned his aspirations to art, although his parents tried to discourage him to pursue a career through Art, he continued to aspire his career towards this. Eventually he trained at the South Australian School of Art from 1937-1941 and then continuing his studies in Paris at the Academie Montmarte in 1949. He Self-portrait then returned to Australia in 1950 with economic crisis, he worked variously as an art critic for The Daily Telegraph and an art compere for an art program at ABCs children radio program, he then worked as an art teacher in numerous schools. Later on during the early 50s, he then pursued a career towards being an artist.

Jeffrey Smart belongs to the group of artists who were born between the two world wars, who matured as an artist. The political situation around Smarts time when the 2nd World War was still going on and the issues involved post-WWII had profound impact and influence towards Smarts work regarding his interpretation of the world and the human beings surrounding it. The technology and methodology of art in Smarts time was generally involved with the Modernist movement which later on became the basis throughout all of Smarts works involving the Surrealist, expressionist and cubist methods. The social issues and values back at Smarts time became a problematic aspect of his career, as during a period of his life he started to acknowledge his homosexuality, he was unable to visualise himself in a masculine world of expressionist Australian art. He also stated that he wanted to escape being engulfed by the influence of abstraction in Australian art. And so in 1964, at the age of 43, he left Australia permanently for Italy where he purchased a house in Tuscany, a property which became both his home and studio. Smart has continuously travelled and exhibit internationally and part of his artwork practice is to explore the capacity of painting, to capture moments in time as seen through a filter of his carefully composed urban scenarios. His death at the age of 91 signified the passing of a legendary in Australian art.

Stylistic
Where does Jeffrey Smart stand in Modern Australian Art? Quite frankly he does not fit. Smart is the avant-garde artist of his generation; although many of his paintings have become Australian icons, he has no genuine similarities with the artists of his generation. He introduced a strongly different I like living in the 21 century- To setting for Australian art. Instead of the regular me the world has never been more beautiful. I am trying to paint the representations of the nature, for example- the real world I l ive in, as beautif ully as I bush and the billabong, he instead captured the can with my own eyes. very essence of the current age, his use of a more Jeffrey Smart urbanised vision with his cutting edge precision with lines, composition and symmetry, his works has become the most un-Australian pieces of art.
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Through Smarts influences he was able to infuse borrowed methods to create his very own innovation. A particular influential figure for Smart was his mentor Dorrit Black; she introduced him to the methodology of using and appreciating composition and symmetry. Smart once recalled that Black taught him the barebones of composition. When he studied in Paris at Academie Montmarte under the apprenticeship of Fernand Leger; he was encouraged to experiment with abstract The flagellation of geometric forms. Many of Smarts artworks are reminiscent of the works by Renaissance artists such as Piero Della Francesca whom Smart is a devotee of. The influence of Francesca on Smart is strongly evident as Francesca uses a precision towards his composition and symmetry. One of Smarts favourite Francesca artworks The Flagellation of Christ encompasses Smarts Mondrian-like compositions, with Francescas method of structure- a realistic scenario is shown with its proper mathematical proportions which takes a complex type of procedure which Smart takes notes from, to create a genuine and realistic visual with perfect mathematical proportioning, Smart proceeds with a very long period time with a series of drafts, starting with drawing to establish detail and later on formulating the final compositional qualities. Smart shares a An example that perfectly illustrates the new style that Jeffrey Smart has introduced to Australian art is his Morning, Yarragon Siding. An artwork that clearly emphasises Smarts compositional qualities, every shape in the artwork are combined harmoniously with Smarts trademark use of red, yellow and blue and the precision of the shapes and lines used with the accurate mathematical proportions and the perfect sculpting of such. As well as emphasising an urban vision. Establishing the idea that Jeffrey is leaving behind

Morning, Yarragon

his nature and accepting the 21st century and technological and urban advance that has taken the world a spin.

The artists intention and

The ideas behind Jeffrey Smarts artworks remain today a debatable and controversial topic towards the audience. Smart once stated that he preferred not discuss the intention behind his works and that he intends to leave the interpretation as the prerogative of the individual viewer. It was in Italy that the colours and shapes and designs of a country rebuilding itself after the war inspired a new vernacular of modern painting for Smart. Street signs, apartment blocks, and construction sites became his subject matter. Many associate Smarts work with the idea of urban alienation with several images in his artworks capturing a haunting stillness. Smart has stated many times that he believes stillness is the fundamental aesthetic principle. His interpretation of human figures also indicates a sense of loneliness for a human being in an exuberantly urban modern world.
Cahill A common myth that revolves around the audience is that Smart does have any philosophical meaning behind his works that he only intends his art to have aesthetical purpose. Mass controversial and debatable coverage on Smarts works started with his Cahill Expressway a landscape painting of an expressway in Sydney, re-igniting his relationship with Australia. The artwork discusses the alienation many feel when faced with the infrastructure of large freeways, especially when closely juxtaposed with pedestrian scale areas.

Personal signs and

A significant aspect of paintings made by Smart is the obvious presence of figures within architectural settings.