"The Real Mother of Invention"
Cast Glass, Steel, Lead, Wood & Oil

"Midnight in Tangier"
Cast glass, Wood & Sheet Lead

Jon Smiley

I recall my first walks through large cities such as New York and Philadelphia. The concrete below my feet, the silhouettes of giant structures now serving as contoured formations in the sky. I would imagine how the air must have smelled when all of these facilities were open. I could imagine the sounds of the giant factories churning out their goods. I thought of the energy required to sustain the manufacturing as well as the human energy needed to keep the cities alive. The history and gravity of what I saw gave shape to my work then and continues to do so today.

What I hope to project in my work is a sense of the complexity that makes up a productive society. I take care and make each element of my work so that it specifically projects something that I have personally seen and been inspired by. It is my hope that those who view my work are able to capture some of the same inspiration that has moved me for so many years.