Koda Smith

Lives and works in Beltsville, MD

Artist statement

My work centers around consequence; exploring the actions that build to create consequences, and living with the repercussions of those consequences. Within this framework, I explore themes of pain, protection, human environmental impact, natural ecological processes, and memory. Texture is imperative to my work. I build up paintings with dozens of layers of oil paint, utilizing both heavy impasto and thinned glazes to mimic sediment deposition and erosion. I use power tools to carve into these layers, sanding them down in an act of forced human intervention, permanently altering the natural build up of material. Dried paint powder settles into the valleys, further complicating the image. This desire to work in scales of texture derives from my childhood, where I spent nearly every weekend from the ages of 5 to 18 racing amateur motocross. The ruts and bumps formed by spinning tires; the bulldozers building jumps akin to earth-works; the dozens of broken bones, concussions, the ruptured organ: these all play heavily into my work. My sculptures act as protective devices. Wall sculptures made of used racing boots. Some paintings are adorned with aluminum and carbon fiber skid plates and bash guards, reimagining the ornate frame as something that obfuscates painting while offering more protection than its ornate predecessors. Subconscious memories of color (of the bikes, the gear, the dirt, the dew laden grass on a Sunday morning) influence my color palette.

Artwork