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Front Room Gallery presents a solo exhibition of new works by Patricia Smith, February 25-April 5, 2021

Patricia Smith

Embedded at Beaurepaire

“My initial impression of this place was that it had sprung from the terroir of my drawings.”

-Patricia Smith

For the past year, Patricia Smith has been in residence at Château Beaurepaire in France’s Loire Valley. It is “château country” here (and also wine country), and the region’s rich history and architectural marvels have penetrated deeply into her work. The French have a word, “terroir”, which is often used in the context of wine production, meaning the unique composition of the soil, combined with the topography and climate of a particular area. But the term can also refer more poetically to a “sense of place”.

In an atmosphere of almost complete isolation because of the pandemic, Smith has had an immersive experience of “terroir”. In a new development in her practice, she brings a series of drawings outside to interact directly with the landscape and the architecture, and also creates hybrid works directly onto and into the terroir. Her approach is, like all her previous work, a kind of mapping, in that it traces connections between the actual and its concept, blurring the line of separation between the two.

Front Room Gallery is proud to present an online exhibition of these new conceptual works which incorporate site interactions, energy mapping and Patricia Smith’s unique ability to visually record and analyze abstract thoughts of place, emotion and connectivity. Patricia incorporates elements of word play in these works on paper, which reveal multiple meanings depending on the context of their positioned environment. Her sensitivity to texture, color palette and form react and relate to the elements of the site, offering a new significance through their interaction.

Site interaction drawings at Château Beaurepaire in France’s Loire Valley by conceptual artist, Patricia Smith

“South Gate Energy Map” site interaction

In these Energy Maps, Patricia responds to the qualities of the specific location where she has placed her canvas—the tower and the south gate. The upward trajectory of the tower invokes a lightness, accentuated by the delicate pale color and sensual curve of its stone wall. In contrast, the South Gate Map focuses on the dark colors and solidity of the earth and what could be lying beneath—depth in all its assocations (“profondeur” in French). Her lines convey the directionality of centuries of people and vehicles passing through this gate, and are echoed by the shadows of the tree branches seen in her peripheral vision.