Greg Parma Smith's 2017 Zurich Exhibition Explores Spiritual Symbols Through Trompe L'oeil Paintings
From April 22 to May 27, 2017, Greg Parma Smith showcased two series of paintings at Galerie Francesca Pia in Zurich. The artist, based in New York, presented four works titled 'Offering' and five paintings of birds, all created in 2017. One piece, Offering with Masks, features hyperrealistic still lifes that reference religious offerings, adorned with gold-painted mask shapes. The bird series, which includes Roseate Spoonbill with Nimbus, illustrates flying birds surrounded by halos made from plastic stickers. While Smith typically paints over attached objects, this exhibition exhibited a more restrained approach. Simultaneously, he held a survey exhibition at MAMCO in Geneva and another show concluding in New York, exploring spiritual themes and critiquing ideology through a blend of belief systems.
Key facts
- Greg Parma Smith's exhibition ran from 22 April to 27 May 2017 at Galerie Francesca Pia in Zurich
- The show featured two series: four 'Offering' paintings and five bird paintings, all from 2017
- Smith is based in New York and had concurrent exhibitions at MAMCO in Geneva and his New York gallery
- Offering with Masks includes hyperrealistic fruit and drinks with gold-painted mask shapes adhered to the canvas
- Roseate Spoonbill with Nimbus depicts a bird with a halo outlined by plastic stickers like jewels and hearts
- Smith's technique involves painting over objects attached to canvases, part of his long-term repertoire
- The works blend spiritual symbols from Christian, Buddhist, and other belief systems into a synthesized religion
- The review was first published in the Summer 2017 issue of ArtReview
Entities
Artists
- Greg Parma Smith
- Parrhasius
- Zeuxis
Institutions
- Galerie Francesca Pia
- MAMCO
- ArtReview
Locations
- Zurich
- Switzerland
- New York
- United States
- Geneva