Colin Smith: Material Culture

‘The scholarly analysis of material culture, which can include both human-made and natural or altered objects, is called Material Culture Studies. It is an interdisciplinary field and methodology that tells of the relationships between people and their things: the making, history, preservation, and interpretation of objects.’  Wikipedia

‘The title of the broad range of my recent work is a somewhat corny punning one. The fact that the majority of the objects depicted are made of fabric or material has its origins simply in my early recognition of how the fluidity of paint lends itself to the depiction of the flow and drape of hanging fabric. Its origins are, consciously anyway, ones of sensual indulgence. They are paintings first and foremost, their function is to seduce and hopefully, encourage examination or reflection later. The subject (or I prefer the term object) matter has other resonances which have relevance to the containment of human presence, or the lack of it. The evocation of how garments can reflect the traits of their previous occupants is to some extent one of the concerns.’

Colin Smith