Sam Smyth

Sam Smyth is a British contemporary artist whose bold, large-scale colour field paintings examine the unsettled and unsettling outer limits of painting, colour theory, and form using colour, shape, and composition. His recent work merges precise geometric forms with dynamic use of colour, creating abstractions that offer new mechanics and meanings for painting today whilst referencing the limitations and saturated history of colour field and formalist art.

Smyth’s painting process is meticulous, using masking techniques and layering to construct precise geometric patterns that are both complex and deliberate. His works are characterised by their elaborate colour palettes, intricate repetition, and a sense of visual movement, evoking the structured beauty of minimalist and abstract art. There is a clarity and directness to his work that echoes Frank Stella’s philosophy of “What you see is what you see,” grounding the viewer in the immediacy and idiosyncrasy of visual experience.

Smyth’s interest in form can be traced back to his early exposure to the tactile world of paper engineering. The son of a paper engineer, his childhood was filled with intricate pop-up books and mechanical designs, sparking an early fascination with how structure and shape work together. This interest led him to study illustration at Arts University Bournemouth, where he began exploring the relationship between form and function in visual art. After graduating, Smyth spent time in the United States, New Zealand and Vietnam, where exposure to different cultures and environments prompted him to rethink his approach to art.

Drawing inspiration from artists like Bridget Riley and Josef Albers, Smyth fuses techniques from Op-Art, British Constructivism, and colour field painting to create striking visual experiences. He experiments with colour theory and optical effects, exploring how colours interact and how viewers experience space. His work is built around rhythmic geometric forms, where layers of paint and precise applications reveal the texture and physicality of the medium. Through this approach, Smyth aims to evoke a sense of harmony and movement, inviting the viewer to engage with the painting both visually and spatially.

Smyth pushes the limits of his practice by experimenting with three-dimensional forms, taking inspiration from his childhood exposure to paper engineering. Verging on expanded paintings. These pieces combine painted canvas laminates with mechanical elements, allowing them to “become sculptures that dialogue with the language and traditions of painting”, as Smyth explains. This venture into kinetic art represents a new phase of his career, in which painting intersects with sculpture and movement.

Now exclusively represented by Maddox, Smyth’s work has been exhibited across the UK and is held in private collections. Notably, he has worked on public and private murals, including a special collaboration with The Conran Shop in Marylebone. In 2023, he also collaborated with Audi to produce a unique vehicle wrap for their Q8 e-tron electric car, which was showcased at the Henley Festival in July.

Photo Credit: Bruno Rondinelli