Untitled #5, 2013
inkjet print on found paper, found printed matter, glass
8” x 8′. Courtesy of the gallery.

A Trustworthy Wizard2013
Coffee stained inkjet print, found printed matter, glass
8” x 10”. Courtesy of the gallery.

Wayne Smith returns to Gallery 16 in his expansive new show “5 Short Holidays,” comprised mostly of his scanner-based imagery and collages, in addition to new forays into drawing and text based installation. Compelled to go see the show by his Clifford Still looking ink jet prints, these remained the clear standout amidst the somewhat rambling display.

Lisa Says2013
Pigment print on Optica paper
34” x 46”. Courtesy of the gallery.

Nascent2013
Pigment print on Optica paper
34” x 46”. Courtesy of the gallery.

Concise and vivid, these prints present tension and unambiguity in their complementarily contrasting shades, and jigsaw outlines seeming to burst through the stark black backgrounds. They achieve a sense of depth that Smith attempts to recreate in his collage pieces, laying found printed imagery against the glass covering his printed backgrounds, but something about his rote rendition of these pieces ultimately highlights their flatness.

Force Feild 2013
Laser print on found bookplate, paper, paint, glass
8.5” x 11′. Courtesy of the gallery.

The hinted at humor seen in the kitschy arrangement of some of these collage pieces is more fully realized in his installation of faux leaflets, starkly offering the viewer help navigating topics like “Hushed Earth Tones,” “Overly Extreme Sports,” and “ You’re No Medium.”  Smith is clearly an artist of varied tastes, according to the press release the title is named for his decision to present these different bodies of work. If this show is a vacation, it’s the kind with a heavy itinerary, with little space for R&R amongst the endless procession of sights to see.

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-Contributed by Kathryn McKinney