Teague Smith is a multidisciplinary visual artist from the United States, who has lived and worked in Virginia, California, Oregon, New York, New Jersey, and Australia. His paintings and illustrations reflect both a deep understanding of humanity and a distinctive and comprehensive perspective, informed by his diverse experiences.
His work is soulful, emotional, and uniquely humorous, and at times can be dark and macabre. Each piece is an archive of thought or a personally curated moment in time painted in vivid color. The human and otherworldly figures in his work are often depicted in groups, but appear to be very much alone, with an almost paranoid sense that they are being observed and are about to be exposed by the witnesses to the scene.
Teague studied painting and illustration at the School for the Visual Arts in New York, NY. He has participated in a number of both solo and group shows throughout the United States and currently resides in Jersey City, NJ.
Statement:
I will exhibit a selection of painted portraits and scenes of human interaction on found repurposed wood, paper, and canvas, that shift explorations and perceptions of the human condition to new terrain. Raw observation and ironic humor will emerge from these works and allow for viewers to experience insight on thoughts and moments otherwise deemed fleeting or tenuous.
My art aims to elicit a sense of human solidarity and calm amid chaos. Consistently inconsistent, distortion and unusual lines, colors, or perspectives are used as a means to take control by creating a problem. My process can be described as a manner of destructive healing – making a mess and cleaning it up moment-by-moment.