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Anthony Smith

The Incomparable Yhana Evonne No. 1 | 25″ x 25″ | Mixed media | 2022


Artist Statement

I make artwork that’s filled with rich dense spaces. These spaces coalesce into vibrant worlds where I often play out moral, political, or philosophical fantasies using calligraphic gestures. I often layer and then erase work I’ve spent hours producing simply to capture the ghost of what came before. I tell stories. I tell stories within stories. I tell stories that are not always meant to be perceived by the viewer. These are my secret work. I always leave a morsel that viewers can grab hold of, be it a friendly gesture, appealing color, or familiar image that, like breadcrumbs, I hope leads the viewer on a journey of discovery. I make overwhelming work because the world for me is overwhelming. Then from time to time, and as a respite from the noise, I paint over it all with a happy landscape that thinly masks the cacophony just beneath the surface.

Artist Website + Social Media:
http://www.anthonysmithjr.com 
Instagram @asmithjrnyc

MR/QD Is Made Possible BY

Artists stipends made possible by Kresge Arts in Detroit

For details and more info on making a contribution to Mighty Real/Queer Detroit, please contact us at info@mrqd.org

About MR/QD

Mighty Real/Queer Detroit is an art exhibition in June 2022 devoted to 77 years (1945-2022) of Detroit LGBTQ+ art 

The exhibition presents a month-long historical examination of the diversity of the LGBTQ+ community and its longtime allies, featuring established & emerging Detroit artists, as well as artists whose careers were shortened by HIV/AIDS.

Mighty Real/Queer Detroit is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization committed to promoting positive and meaningful images of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender community through artistic and intellectual means. © 2023. All Rights Reserved.