Judson King Smith: The House of Miraculous Recovery

Judson King Smith​: The House of Miraculous Recovery
In the Small Space at Transmission Gallery

​August 1 – September 14, 2024

​Artist’s Reception
Saturday, August 17th, 1-4pm

Transmission Gallery is pleased to present The House of Miraculous Recovery, a solo exhibition of work by Judson King Smith.

Keenly aware of the one direction of time, Smith recognizes that we are but one tiny little glimmer in the whole fossil record of what came before us, and what will come after. It is this central idea that informs his work: we are not separate from the fossil record, we are, in fact part of it. Drawing on an array of artifacts, cast in metal, cast in plastic, combined and reconfigured, Smith relies on both the real and elements of fabricated illusion to communicate his vision in many layered sculptural works.

Playing into this sense of deep time is an awareness of a more recent history, the history perhaps of grandparents and great grandparents represented by archetypes and emblems of, largely, American psyche, for better or worse. Either way, the story of our nation, complex and messy, figures in many of the pieces on display such as Victoria, a free-standing sculptural assemblage comprised of religious, architectural, natural and technological artifacts.

In the steel and cast bronze Oracle of Cataclysm, objects referencing relatively recent technology, jetliners and astronauts, take their place embedded in the arc of time while the ubiquitous object of our current days, the cell phone, provides the pivot point in the centerpiece of the exhibition, Out of the Trance of Unworthiness, She Awakens, connecting the central figure, mired in a crumbling past, to the (more) present even as time moves swiftly along.

Born and raised by artists in Los Angeles, Smith was drawn to found objects, industrial relics, Hollywood movie sets, miniatures, and museum installations. As a teenager Smith was exposed to the work of Ed Kienholz and Rebecca Horn and became compelled to be a fine artist. As a young sculptor he became profoundly influenced by the work of Michael C. McMillen. Judson has continued to explore the theme of his artwork creating sculptures and environments that explore archaeology, the human condition, religion, war and history. His work has been in group and solo exhibitions across the United States and the UK and various pieces are held in private collections.

Also please join us for the official Artist’s Reception, Saturday, August 17th, from 1-4 pm, concurrent with the Opening Reception of our upcoming exhibition Surreal Insectica and the Goo Goo Zoo. This event is free and open to the public with free street parking in the nearby neighborhood on West Grand Ave. and south of West Grand.