Noontime Artist Talk: Brian Smith

Brian Smith discusses Gay Bar, a meticulously beaded sculpture that foregrounds surface, repetition, and ornament as sites of meaning. Drawing from his broader practice, Smith considers how labor-intensive processes and material excess intersect with queer aesthetics, transforming notions of preciousness into something both sensorial and conceptual.

Brian Smith is a Portland, Maine-based artist working across sculpture and two-dimensional media. Rooted in queer ecological theory, his labor-intensive work envisions futures in which humans adapt to climate catastrophe by migrating to the seas. He holds an MFA from Maine College of Art & Design and a BFA from Massachusetts College of Art and Design. His work has been exhibited across New England, New York, Texas, and in Belgium; his work is included in the Portland Museum of Art collection. He has attended residencies in New England and received numerous grants, including the Innovative Artist Grant.