Aj Smith and Marjorie Williams-Smith

August 29 - December 3, 2022

Aj and Marjorie began their art journey together in 1978. While the imagery of their artwork manifests a physical difference, they both share a passion for drawing and the spiritual essence of creativity.

Aj’s work reflects his journey through the Arkansas and Mississippi Delta regions as told through the faces of individuals who live there. Their communities are small rural isolated places. Though these areas are impoverished, the people survive against incredible odds and their faces present a noble and quiet dignity. They live humble lives with much to tell and even more to remember – they present the majestic innocence of our humanity.

Marjorie’s journey has been mostly an introspective one. Her drawings have allowed her to find a place of calm and reflection. When she first started drawing flowers, it was a way to preserve the floral gifts given to her by family and friends. Over time she saw the beauty of the forms – the rich tonal qualities, the textured surfaces, and the changes in color. These forms began to take on a metaphorical significance – the delicate appearance belies strength and conviction. The most recent drawings reflect the history of African Americans as told through the crops they worked as enslaved people and sharecroppers. These fields are also metaphorical in that they present a serene and inviting landscape that belies a dark past.

• PRESS RELEASE

Artist Statements

Marjorie Williams-Smith

Drawing for me is as much about the process as it is the product. The work progresses slowly as I concentrate on relationships between shapes, light, shadows, and textures. Line is my primary tool, as it is hatched and cross-hatched to create the subject. The color of the page is also important in that it provides contrast and space for the form to move and speak.

While I have worked with other subjects, I find myself returning to flowers for visual reference. Most often these flowers are dried and seem to have another life beyond their present fragile state. They represent the passage of time, energy, life, and spirit. Silverpoint is my primary medium because it enhances the qualities I hope to present. My interest in silverpoint began in 1986 after viewing The Fine Line: Drawing with Silver in America at the Arkansas Arts Center in Little Rock.

Silverpoint is drawing with silver wire on a specifically prepared surface. The support must be coated with a ground, which provides an abrasive surface. I have drawn with silver, copper, aluminum, and steel wool. Drawing grounds used have included acrylic gesso (white), gouache, watercolor, and a gesso-mix of crushed marble, animal skin glue, and titanium white pigment. In the drawing process minute metal particles are deposited on the ground. Erasing to achieve complete removal of the metal is not possible.

Silverpoint dates back to the medieval period and was highly favored as a drawing tool during the Renaissance. By the 17th century silverpoint fell out of favor as artists preferred other drawing materials that were less labor intensive. In the latter part of the 19th century silverpoint was re-discovered. Today it is enjoying another revival. 

Aj Smith

It is important that I show a likeness of my subjects through facial expressions. In order to do this, I must first spend time getting to know the individual. Initial visits may not include working on the drawing but engaging in casual conversation and taking several photographs. Photographs of the subject are taken under different environmental circumstances and social situations. This allows me to glean some subtle indications that reveal the subject's personality.

Although direct subject observation is important in the drawing process, much of what I do to capture personality is from memory. The drawings are more about establishing a communication link between the subject and myself.

I hope to present an honest depiction of my subject that reflects upon a suspended moment in time. When others look into my drawings, I wish for them to speculate on the subjects’ demeanor, attitudes, and general disposition. I hope that my portrait drawings remind the viewer of someone they know, have once known, or would like to get to know.