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Dennis V. Smith (born 1942) is an American sculptor, painter and poet. He is a long-time resident of Alpine, Utah, where he was born in 1942. His work centers around the importance of place and time, not only literal geographical place, but where we all fit in the Universe. For Smith the center of all awareness is the top of Cemetery Hill in Alpine, Utah. In Smith's work he contemplates the nearly universal queries of all humankind: Where do I come from, why am I here and do I continue to exist beyond this sphere? Having been born and reared in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, he has found a deep root of sensibility that we may have lived before and that we may continue beyond earth life. This hope is ardent enough that he has asked his wife to have his fingers crossed when he dies. In his more than 50 year span of creative expression, Dennis has found his most persistent drive to be exemplified by the spirit of the child. Children have been a consistent theme in his sculpture and certainly his poetry as well. In 1970 he published his first book of poetry and sculpture titled "Star-Counter". In a poem titled "Past Fourteen" there are powerful and simple lines that capture Smith's internal questioning that we all feel: Because of the relatability of Smith's images and themes, and the honesty of his expression, his work has found a wide audience that spans across continents with placements of his sculpture and paintings around the world. He has never sought to manipulate his viewers to any point of view, but simply believes that the most valid art is what comes from the artist's truest feelings. He is most noted in LDS circles for having created the statues that form the monument to women in Nauvoo, Illinois. Editions of these works are also in Seattle, Los Angeles, and Madrid. In more than 50 major installations both nationally and internationally, Smith has created portraiture of well-known personalities and historical figures such as Mahatma Gandhi, Victor Borge, President Howard Taft, Signers of the Constitution in the American Embassies in London, Prague, and Moscow. Public works can be found in Middletown, OH. San Antonio, TX. Havana, IL. Vail, CO. Greenville, SC. Santa Fe Springs, CA. San Diego, CA. Salt Lake City, UT. Lagrange, GA. Copenhagen, Denmark, Chernivtsi, Ukraine, Fujisake-Cho, Japan, and Singapore, to name only a few. Smith's welded assemblages, particularly those which depict children soaring in homemade contraptions, introduce unique visions of how we get from here to there (both literally and metaphysically). On viewing them, one cannot help but step into the driver's seat. In Smith's paintings, the viewer takes ownership of the treehouse (another persistent metaphor of his work), and finds him/herself empowered. The perspective is commanding from the flying machines as well as the treehouses and makes the child, even in his innocence or because of it, the arbiter of truth. In a recent poem, Smith tenders the "Fragile Ecstasy" of our existence: Dennis Smith attended Brigham Young University (BFA), Danish Royal Academy, and served a two and a half year mission to Denmark for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints prior to his marriage to Veloy Walker in 1964. They are the parents of 6 children and grandparents of 21 grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. Mr. Smith has traveled widely visiting points all around the globe but still makes his home and continues his work in the small community of Alpine, Utah where he grew up. His studio is located in the Alpine Art Center which also includes Adonis Bronze Works, a nationally renowned foundry which he has worked with for over 26 years. Interviews with the artist Dennis Smith, "Star-Counter" published 1970 by Trilogy Arts in Provo, Utah, archives of Main Street Art, Brigham Young University, and personal files of the artist. Dennis also wrote a column for the ''Deseret News'' for 10 years. A select number of his writings can be found in a publication titled ''Meanderings''. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Dennis Smith (sculptor)」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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