John Smith Touring Exhibition

John Smith consistently explores the relationship between sound and image, the real and the fiction, creating a body of film which is rich in ideas both aesthetically and intellectually. Since 1972 he has made over thirty film, video and installation works. His films have been widely shown internationally in cinemas, art galleries and on television, and awarded major prizes at film festivals in Oberhausen, Hamburg, Leipzig, Cork, Palermo, Graz, Uppsala, Bangkok and Chicago. In collaboration with Watershed, Bristol, Picture This put together a major touring project, comprising screenings, exhibitions, a publication and a new commission that was funded by Arts Council National Touring Programme.

The new work Worst Case Scenario was assembled from four thousand still photographs of daily life on a Viennese street corner. The film re-orders and manipulates a selection of these images, and as it progresses the static world subtly comes to life.

The book John Smith: Film and Video Works 1972-2002 includes texts by Al Rees, Cornelia Parker, Ian Bourn and Nicky Hamlyn published alongside an interview with Cate Elwes, a full filmography and biography and colour illustrations of a body of thirty years’ work.

“Books or, for that matter, catalogues on individual British avant-garde film-makers are rare. As such this volume of essays marking 30 years of John Smith’s film and video work is very welcome.”
Michael O’Pray, Art Monthly # 261


Exhibition:
17 May – 9 June 2002, Pearl Gallery, London

18 July 2002, Cambridge Film Festival
7 Sept – 12 Oct 2002, Firstsite, Colchester

12 Dec 2002, Showroom Cinema, Sheffield

24 April 2003, LUX Open, Royal College of Arts, London
8 May - 18 May 2003, Anthony Wilkinson, London

14 May 2003, Arnolfini, Bristol
3 June - 20 July 2003, IKON Gallery, Birmingham
4 September to 12 October 2003, Turin Photography Biennale
8 October 2003, Aspex Gallery, Portsmouth
10 October to 22 November 2003, Open Eye Gallery, Liverpool
29 October 2003, FACT, Liverpool