by Kelly Keegan

Undeniably Australia’s living treasure in the world that is, art. Jeffrey Smart has reconstructed many Australian urban instantly recognizable landscapes with pigment and hog hair.  Smart was born 1921 raised in Adelaide, Australia.    Studying fine art at the Adelaide Teachers Collage then South Australian School of Art (1937-1941) firstly becoming an art teacher.  Later he studied in Paris this is where he lives today considering himself an Aussie living abroad.     

Smart firstly marks silk linen with mathematical graphed honeycomb shaping the foundation for reference points to transfers linear formation as such; describes variables that change proportionally to scale.  Stillness of shapes and images of trucks, stop signs, workmen mostly government construction projects is what Smart paints.  Observing each painting noticeably there is no association that Smart has painted on woven canvas, there is no evidence of any diameter brush stroke and his colour pallet selection belongs exclusively to him.  Evidently there’s no beginning or ending visible, none of the tell-tale globular paint drops, dry splash or even the master’s finger print, remarkably every piece of Smarts works are a spatula floor-less finishes.

My queuing at New South Wales Art Gallery, Lady Macquarie’s Chair, Sydney to peruse and gaze over Jeffrey Smarts construction series profoundly emboss on my creative neurons.  My opportunity to view Smarts collection is still a vivid experience from 18 years ago.  Human brilliance is often spoken, written, televised in many countries and languages however none can fully explain the spiritual connection when standing face to face of a piece that was created by Smart’s hand and mind.

Constructor, drafts-person, builder, painter, plumber, plasterer all too, have the element that beholds Jeffrey Smart's art.   Meet Bob The BillDuck, Bob is our can fix it Rubber Duckie, in every painter there is a builder and every builder there is a Smart Rubber Duckie.

Come and see what the Quack! Quack! Is all about.

www.rubberduckie.net.au