Art Today Magazine interview

April 02, 2018

Nick was approached by Art Today Magazine with some questions about his upcoming show titled Priceless, opening 20th April at Lawrence Alkin Gallery. You can read the interview b y clicking here

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INSTAGRAM FEED @nicksmith_art

NOW SOLD OUT (Thanks to all those who purchased, all prints will be shipped out this week)🚨New Nick Smith print alert! 🚨 You're going to need a bigger boat - Limited edition of 50 . PURCHASE LINK IN MY BIO - £195 plus shipping✈️ . Nick presents his latest print edition inspired by the movie classic, Jaws. Measuring 60 x 72cm, this limited edition giclee is printed on Somerset Satin 300gsm paper with a screen printed varnish over the colour blocks. Each print is signed, numbered and embossed and sold with a certificate of Authenticity. . The text in this print is taken from the chilling scene in the Orca's cabin, where shark hunter Quint, describes the horror of being stranded in the ocean with hundreds his fellow servicemen, while slowly being picked off by sharks one by one. #jaws #nicksmith #nicksmithart

Anyone looking for an original collage on paper Marilyn head over to @samuelowen #samuelowengallery #nicksmithart #nicksmith Prints are all now sold #collageonpaper

This piece has a big story behind it. So simple in context and a favourite of mine. Marcel Duchamp the ultimate questionnaire of what defines art walked into the Louvre and bought a bunch of off the wall postcards of the most famous painting in the world and scribbled a moustache and beard on the Mona Lisa. I’ve got no idea of how they were sold at the time, but we know that he made 35 of them plus a few of A/P’s. A simple gesture with cheeky intent. They currently retail at around 1 million dollars at action. I picked the highest recorded sale price of $1,205,000 which sold in New York 8th May 2016 at Christie’s and plastered the sale price over her famous gaze. We need to recognise the simplicity and absurd nature of our valuation on these items. If it’s not recorded for discussion how can we justify its value? #nicksmith #nicksmithart #monalisa #marcelduchamp

Not sure why, but I’m always a day late with the birthdays 🤦🏻‍♂️ Happy birthday Mr Hockney... The story behind the text on this piece connects with this being a fictional Californian pool as stated by Hockney. Each colour swatch has a Californian place name marked on it, speculating the pools actual location #nicksmith #nicksmithart #davidhockney #inspirationalartist #sold

You’re going to need a bigger boat! Proudly hanging on Nantucket in the home of Captain Pollard of the WhaleShip “The Essex” #collageonpaper #samuelowen #nicksmith #nicksmithart

I haven’t seen this Pantone Van Gogh in years. It popped up yesterday on my feed like an old friend, one I laboured over and loved, but had to let go. It was the first piece I sold through @lawrencealkingallery back in December 2014... Crude round the edges, but I had to start somewhere 📷credit: @pennyandkipper #nicksmith #nicksmithart #vangogh #collageonpaper

@chuckclose123

Now closed, Now sold... 🔴 My fourth show at @lawrencealkingallery all wrapped up... thanks for having us, and to all the buyers, expect something in the post in the coming weeks! Already working on the next concept... Paparazzo, stay tuned folks! Really appreciate all your interest and patronage! 🙌 #lawrencealkingallery #nicksmith #collageonpaper #yvesklein #nicksmithart

Today is the last day to visit my current show @lawrencealkingallery Doors close at 7pm... Till next time... #nicksmith #nicksmithart #collageonpaper #edwardmanet #lawrencealkingallery

Final week to catch my current show with @lawrencealkingallery titled - PRICELESS. These 2 Mondrian’s are sold but panic not, there are a couple of remaining available artworks. Contact info@lawrencealkingallery for the catalogue of remaining pieces. #priceless #nicksmith #nicksmithart #mondrian #collageonpaper

“We’re going to need a bigger boat!” This one is headed over to @samuelowen in Nantucket. Text is from the famous Orca Cabin scene where Quint tells a chilling tale of being circled by sharks in the water. #samuelowengallery #collageonpaper #notaprint #nicksmith #nicksmithart #samuelowengallery

Digging through photos on my phone, and found this commission of Cara from last year... think she may have overdone it on the makeup. Signed and delivered ✈️ #nicksmithart #nicksmith #collageonpaper #caradelevingne @caradelevingne

With so many framing options, sometimes it’s the simple choice that work out best. Rubens, Three Graces Print courtesy of @mgoesele #nicksmith #nicksmithart #threegraces #rubens

When I was a kid, I remember someone trying to make it easier for me to understand how far away the moon was by asking me to imagine double-decker buses stacked nose to tail, trailing off into space. It didn’t help, but it stuck in my head as a ridiculous method of measurement. - ‘Real world’ comparisons work on a small scale, but when you multiply them by millions they become absurd. So, I thought I would apply this to the unimaginable sale prices realised by Yves Klein’s IKB paintings... specifically IKB 92 and IKB 239. These two seemingly identical works of art, which share the same dimensions and appearance, were sold within months of each other in 2015 at Sotheby’s London auction house, but with half a million pounds between them. - Pints of milk seemed like an obvious real world comparison to make. Milk’s a daily purchase for most and a pint is an intrinsically British measure of the value of money to the individual, which can be purchased for around 50 pence a pint. This everyday item can be visualised in a small quantity, but instantly becomes equally as absurd as double-decker buses stacked nose to tail, when used as a comparative measure of the values of these two paintings. - Really, it’s not a helpful comparison. I just wanted to scrawl something preposterous on two beautiful ultramarine blue canvasses which replicate IKB 92 and IKB 239. - These two pieces are currently available via @lawrencealkingallery ...Chalk on painted oak panels measuring exactly the same sizes as the Yves Klein originals. Save yourself a few million £££ - #lawrencealkingallery #yvesklein #nicksmithart #nicksmith

Working with colour, it’s essential to either visit the original painting in person or have several photographs in different lighting with parts of the surrounding wall visible to facilitate accurate reproduction of hues & tones. This Van Gogh proved particularly tricky as all I could source was a few 35mm photographs from a catalogue printed back in the 1990’s before this piece went to auction at Christie’s in November 1998 realising $71.5 million. This painting now resides in a private collection, and only the owner will truly know the exact colour tones & hues Van Gogh used, which I find a little upsetting... I think the original may be brighter and more luminous, and if you swipe right, I think his expression looks a little disappointed about it. Now available as an original collage on paper via @lawrencealkingallery #lawrencealkingallery #nicksmithart #nicksmith #vangogh #collageonpaper

On 11th May 2016, Francis Bacon’s Two studies for a self portrait sold for $34,970,000 at Sotheby’s, New York. This is a reinterpretation at scale which quantifies the value of each 2x3cm colour chip having a proportional value of $97,138.89 cents. This pair is currently available via @lawrencealkingallery #nicksmith #nicksmithart #francisbacon #lawrencealkingallery #collageonpaper

On 8th May 2016, Marcel Duchamp’s L.H.O.O.Q. Sold at Christie’s NYC for $1,205,000... This is my reproduction of his Mona Lisa lithograph print measuring 30.2x23cm, which he scribbled a biro moustach on, and was part of an edition of 35. No idea what it sold for at the time, but I do know he executed it in 1964 and now it’s selling for over a million dollars in the 21st Century. #nicksmith #duchamp #collageonpaper #nicksmithart #priceless #lawrencealkingallery #monalisa

IKB 108 Measuring 50x50cm sold at Christie’s New York for $3,301,000 in May 2016... This a scale reproduction in ultramarine paint #priceless #reflection #nicksmith #yvesklein #lawrencealkingallery #bowlcut #christies #ikb108

Happy Birthday our Lizzie 🎂. Hit me on the DM and we can arrange your next official Royal portrait 👍 #queenelizabeth #queensbirthday #acryliconcanvas

Morning after the Private View and I’ve got shorts on for the first time this year ‘cause it’s time to relax a little 😎 #nicksmith #nicksmithart #lawrencealkingallery #priceless