David Smith's Rare Spray Paintings Debut at Hauser & Wirth This Fall

Hauser & Wirth will present 'Night Window. David Smith Spray Paintings, 1958 – 1964,' an exhibition focused on David Smith's pioneering Sprays, a series of rarely exhibited two-dimensional works. Smith, who lived from 1906 to 1965, is primarily known as a sculptor linked to abstract expressionism, but he was also a painter and draftsman, often working on canvas and paper at night after sculpting during the day. The exhibition highlights his innovative approach to form, color, space, and time across media. Smith initially studied painting at the Art Students League in New York, but much of his artistic education occurred in automobile and locomotive factories, where he developed hands-on skills. The Sprays, created between 1958 and 1964, exemplify his willingness to experiment with unconventional techniques. This show brings together seldom-seen works that underscore Smith's restless creativity and his ability to merge sculpture, drawing, and painting into a single creative practice. The exhibition opens this fall at Hauser & Wirth, offering a rare opportunity to view these two-dimensional pieces that have received less attention than his sculptural output. By focusing on the Sprays, the gallery sheds light on a lesser-known aspect of Smith's oeuvre, revealing how his industrial background and painterly training informed his innovative use of spray paint. The presentation contributes to ongoing reassessments of abstract expressionism's scope and Smith's role within it.