biography
John Smith was born in Walthamstow, East London in 1952 and studied film at the Royal College of Art. Inspired by conceptual art and the structural materialist ideas that dominated British artists’ filmmaking during his formative years, but also fascinated by the immersive power of narrative and the spoken word, he has developed a body of work which deftly subverts the perceived boundaries between documentary and fiction, representation and abstraction. Drawing upon the raw material of everyday life, Smith's meticulously crafted films rework and transform reality, playfully exploring and exposing the language of cinema.
Since 1972 John Smith has made over fifty film, video and installation works that have been shown in cinemas, art galleries and on television around the world and awarded major prizes at many international film festivals. His solo exhibitions include Tanya Leighton Gallery, Berlin (2013), Kestnergesellschaft, Hanover (2012), Turner Contemporary, Margate (2012), Weserburg Museum for Modern Art, Bremen (2012), Uppsala Art Museum, Sweden (2011), PEER Gallery, London (2011), Pallas Projects, Dublin (2011), Royal College of Art Galleries, London (2010), Tanya Leighton Gallery, Berlin (2010), Sala Diaz Gallery, Texas (2010), Ikon Gallery, Birmingham (2006), Kunstmuseum Magdeburg (2005), Open Eye Gallery, Liverpool (2003) and Pearl Gallery, London (2003). Major group shows include 'Image Counter Image', Haus der Kunst, Munich (2012), 'Has The Film Already Started?', Tate Britain (2011-12), Berlin Biennial (2010), ‘The Talent Show’, Walker Art Center, Minneapolis and MoMA PS1, New York (2010), Venice Biennale (2007), ‘A Century of Artists’ Film in Britain’, Tate Britain (2004), ‘Live in Your Head: Concept and Experiment in Britain 1965-75’, Whitechapel Gallery, London (2000) and ‘The British Art Show’, UK touring exhibition (1984). John Smith regularly presents his work in person and in recent years it has been profiled through retrospectives at film festivals in Oberhausen, Tampere, St. Petersburg, La Rochelle, Mexico City, Uppsala, Cork, Regensburg, Karlstad, Winterthur, Bristol, Hull and Glasgow.
John Smith lives and works in London. He teaches part-time at the University of East London where he is Professor of Fine Art. He is represented by Tanya Leighton Gallery, Berlin.
complete filmography
Triangles 1972, 3 mins, 16mm, colour, sound.
Someone Moving 1972, 5 mins, 16mm, colour, sound.
The Hut 1973, 5 mins, 16mm, colour, sound.
Words (collaboration with Lis Rhodes) 1973, 7 mins, 16mm, B/W, sound.
Out the Back 1974, 5 mins, Super 8mm, colour, silent.
William and the Cows 1974, 6 mins, 16mm, colour, silent.
Faces 1 1974, 11 mins, 16mm, B/W, silent.
Faces 2 1974, 3 mins, 16mm, B/W, silent.
Associations 1975, 7 mins, 16mm, colour, sound.
Leading Light 1975, 11 mins, 16mm, colour, sound.
Nine Short Stories 1975, 3 mins, 16mm, B/W, silent.
Subjective Tick-Tocks 1975, 11 mins, 16mm, B/W, sound.
The Girl Chewing Gum 1976, 12 mins, 16mm, B/W, sound.
Summer Diary 1976-7, 30 mins, 16mm, colour, sound.
Hackney Marshes - November 4th 1977 1977, 15 mins, 16mm, colour, silent.
Gardner 1977, 6 mins, video from 16mm, colour, sound.
Hackney Marshes (TV version) 1978, 30 mins, video from 16mm, colour, sound.
7P 1978, 7 mins, 16mm, colour, sound.
Blue Bathroom 1978-9, 25 mins, 16mm, colour, sound.
Celestial Navigation 1980, 10 mins, 16mm, colour, sound.
Spring Tree 1980, 3 mins, 16mm, colour, silent.
Shine So Hard 1981, 32 mins, 16mm, colour, sound.
Light Sleep 1981, 6 mins, 16mm, colour, sound.
Shepherd's Delight 1980-4, 35 mins, 16mm, colour, sound.
Om 1986, 4 mins, 16mm, colour, colour, sound.
The Black Tower 1985-7, 24 mins, 16mm, colour, sound.
Dungeness (3 films for theatre production by Graeme Miller) 1987, 12 mins, 16mm, colour, silent.
Slow Glass 1988-91, 40 mins, 16mm, colour, sound.
Gargantuan 1992, 1 min, 16mm, colour, sound.
Home Suite 1993-4, 96 mins, video, colour, sound.
Blight 1996, 14 mins, video from 16mm, colour, sound.
The Kiss (collaboration with Ian Bourn) 1999, 5 mins, video from 16mm, colour, sound.
The Waste Land 1999, 5 mins, video, colour, sound.
Regression 1999, 17 mins, video, colour, sound.
Lost Sound (collaboration with Graeme Miller) 1998-2001, 28 mins, video, colour, sound.
Frozen War (Hotel Diaries 1) 2001, 11 mins, video, colour, sound.
Worst Case Scenario 2001-3, 18 mins, video from 35mm, colour & B/W, sound.
Museum Piece (Hotel Diaries 2) 2004, 12 mins, video, colour, sound.
Throwing Stones (Hotel Diaries 3) 2004, 11 mins, video, colour, sound.
B & B (Hotel Diaries 4) 2005, 6 mins, video, colour, sound.
Pyramids / Skunk (Hotel Diaries 5/6) 2006/7, 17 mins, video, colour,
sound.
Dirty Pictures (Hotel Diaries 7) 2007, 14 mins, video, colour, sound.
Six Years Later (Hotel Diaries 8) 2007, 9 mins, video, colour, sound.
Flag Mountain 2010, 8 mins, HD video, colour, sound.
unusual Red cardigan 2011, 12 mins, video, colour, sound.
The Man Phoning Mum 2011, 12 mins, HD video, colour, sound.
Soft Work 2012, 37 mins, HD video, colour, sound.
Dad's Stick 2012, 5 mins, HD video, colour, sound.
installations
The Kiss (collaboration with Ian Bourn) 1999, video installation for 2 suspended projectors and etched glass screens.
Rebus 2001, video loop for single monitor.
Beside the A-Side (collaboration with Graeme Miller) 2002, video installation for 2 projectors and suspended screen.
Double Shutter 2010, 2 screen video installation incorporating material from 'Blue Bathroom' (1979-80)
Third Attempt 2010, 2 screen film and video installation incorporating '7P' (1978-9) and 'Regression' (1998-9).
unusual Red cardigan 2011, mixed media installation incorporating video, photographic prints and ready made objects.
Horizon (Five Pounds a Belgian) 2012, HD video installation for single projector and purpose built space.
