The Ken Segal Gallery is pleased to present our first solo exhibition of Winnipeg artist Douglas Smith, titled Works on Paper. This exhibition features drawings by this internationally exhibited artist. It is an exciting display from an artist who is pushing the boundaries of drawings in fresh directions. The show opens with an artist reception at the Ken Segal Gallery, located at 4–433 River Ave., on March 8, 2007 from 6:30 to 8:30 pm and runs until March 31, 2007.

Smith graduated from the University Of Manitoba School Of Art in 1986. He has exhibited locally, in the United States, and in and around Rotterdam and the Netherlands. Over the years he has worked in ceramics, creating sculptural pieces that merge nature and architecture. Not limited just to ceramic, his art has embraced drawing and painting as well.

The drawings in Works on Paper owe their beginnings to a series of trans-Atlantic crossings Smith took between Winnipeg and Rotterdam, while living in Europe between 1997 and 2001. They examine the mass transportation of people and the systems that sustain it. These systems, complex, fragile yet impersonal, are cleverly and stylistically illustrated by using a balance of images, symbols, lines, abstract markings and colour washes.

On Radar illustrates the delicate art of people moving.

“This series of drawings examines the gulf that appears to be increasing between our individual sense of self in the world and the potential loss of it within the scope of massive population shifts and societal demands. The drawings reference flat spatial planes demarcated by circular radar-like markings and geometric fields. They are accentuated with lineal outlines of aircraft, building or ships that are also demarcated in their own space often by the use of simple line and arrows,” describes Smith.

Doug Smith's work shows why the popularity of drawings has increased in the past few years. His drawings function on various levels, offering a wide range of possibilities and urging on further exploration. This exhibit is part of an ongoing body of work that is getting attention from curators and collectors. Smith will also take part in Scratching the Surface, the Post-Prairie Landscape, organized by curator Steven Matijcio, at Plug-In ICA in September 2007.

For more information, an interview with the artist or press-ready images, please contact the gallery.