VIEWPOINT : an introduction in the catalog to the exhibition :DAVE SMITH : PAINTINGS & DRAWINGS 1980-1990  by Brent Malone, 1990

My first in-depth introduction to the work of Dave Smith was at his first solo exhibition: On the Edge of Town in 1981. I considered that show to be a landmark event, and a turning point of influence for Bahamian Art. At that show, I purchased my first painting of his.

Other shows regularly followed: In Color & Black & White in 1982, Where the Eagle Flies in 1984, Transition in Paradise in 1986, Hot, Hot, Hot in 1987, and his most recent show: Calypso Skies held earlier this year. During this time, Bahamian Art has made great leaps forward – owing a great deal to artists such as Smith. That the artist also owes a great debt to the Bahamas is evident in his work – saturated as it is with the Bahamian experience.

Some local art has suffered from a tendency to over-romanticise and be so singular in vision, that the end result becomes the mundane clothed in pretty paint. Smith starts with the mundane – transforming it into eloquent and powerful statements. His early images of drive-in movies, decorative cement blocks, chain link fences and pictures of ‘Jesus’. His recurring T.V and car themes, and the more recent images from consumer  advertising. There has been a total acceptance of the Bahamian landscape, providing the artist with unusual images and compositions seldom explored by other Bahamian artists.

Dave’s paintings reflect a strong love for the Bahamas, revealing glimpses of a truly Bahamian identity. In his paintings we see our culture  as it really is – an overlapping of foreign influences, and an uncertainty as to what is ours. Sometimes the artist as social commentator – other times clearly delighting in the cultural dilemma we find ourselves in, teasing us with ideas, suggestions, symbols and incongruities.  As provocative intellect, they ask as many questions as they answer – grappling with complex cultural issues – yet never moralizing. As paint on canvas, they delight with vibrant colour and skilled craftsmanship.

And then there is that calypso upbeat, full of rhythm – a song and a dance in every brush stroke. And blue skies too. Always  shifting and changing on a breeze.

With such highly developed painting skills at his command, Dave Smith could have enjoyed the lucrative success of a popular artist. He has however,  consistently rejected the commercial approach, choosing instead to develop his talents and ideas as a  serious artist. In doing so, he has become highly respected by the local art community, and has captured a growing audience both here and abroad.