Emmitt Smith's Paintings Expose the Fiction of Maps and Digital Reality

Emmitt Smith, a graduate of the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts in 2017, was honored with the artcritical award that same year, which led to the commissioning of an article about him. His artistic exploration delves into the manipulation of reality, drawing influences from reality television, Google Maps, and Frederic Church. His recent works emphasize maps, questioning their supposed objectivity. In 2017, he recreated the globe from memory, featuring hazy, neon-hued continents with 'The Real World' inscribed below. His piece too much world (2017) showcases layers of paint that resist digital simplification. mapstraction (2017) illustrates a globe marked by yellow flight paths, critiquing information overload. The desert of the real (2017) includes camouflaged cacti emitting red wifi signals, while monochromatic wifi visuals depict the unseen forces shaping contemporary existence.