In these two extracts, British artist Keir Smith considers the different roles drawing, painting and sculpture have played in his practice.
Keir Smith, collage painting experimenting with application of paint on panels for wall-floor constructions in studio space (1972-1973) Courtesy the Estate of Keir Smith and Leeds Museums & Galleries (Henry Moore Institute Archive). Photo: Norman Taylor
In this first interview snippet, Smith considers the central role of drawing in his creative process, as he notes and gathers ideas in sketchbooks and then repeatedly redraws them before they are realised as artworks.
All of Smith's sketchbooks, which he made use of consistently throughout his career, are held by the Henry Moore Institute Archive, serving as a fantastic document of his entire oeuvre.
In the second extract, Smith describes his transition from painting into sculpture. As a student at Newcastle upon Tyne University in the early 1970s, he experimented with shaped canvases and different methods of applying paint.
Keir Smith, interviewed by Anna Dyke for National Life Stories project Artists' Lives
Video credit: The Britich Library Board
Keir Smith 1 from The Henry Moore Foundation on Vimeo.
Keir Smith, interviewed by Anna Dyke, for the National Life Stories project Artists' Lives
Video credit: The British Library Board
Keir Smith 2 from The Henry Moore Foundation on Vimeo.
This period became the focus for a later exhibition, Keir Smith: Form Wall to Floor, displayed at the Henry Moore Institute from 21 March - 23 June 2013, which encompassed sketchbooks, photographs, drawings and three dimensional works from 1968 to 1979.