Rodney Smith - Photographer

I came across the photography of Rodney Smith a few weeks ago. I browse through loads of photographs every week and it is not often that you I see a picture that make me just stop and LOOK. I do not know exactly how old Rodney is but considering he received his fellowship in 1975 he must be well over a half century young by now. His photographs are what I would probably call surreal. I have not seen much surrealist photography myself but I am most fascinated by surrealist art, like Dali paintings or Kenneth Anger films. Smith does work with color as well as black and white and although I do prefer the latter, his color photographs do tend to exhibit a matured quality. The few of his pictures I have seen evoke a sense of loneliness and solidarity within me. But yet his subjects are all so bold confident. I also sense a slight tinge of dark humor in some of his pictures that bring a wicked smile to my face. Rodney Smiths photographs are definitely the most alluring I have been across in a while.