Barry Ross Smith

Barry is a contemporary surrealist artist originally from Whangarei. Known widely for his realist figurative land and ocean works, 2017 marked a turning point in Barry’s practice with his Archipelago exhibition, a series of isolated islands, surveying a range of wild and domestic habitations. They were islands in flux; connected by change, demand and the relentless course of history and culture. The paintings can be viewed as theatrical tableau, a reflective space which highlights mankind’s complex relationship with the land, flora, fauna, all set against the encompassing endless ocean.
This relationship has been developed further in later exhibitions, along with inspiration from a trip to Tiritiri Matangi, an island sanctuary and restoration  project to save our native fauna. These works show Barry’s concern for the fate of our native New Zealand animals, which are being decimated by predators. The works represent individual, intimate portraits of a solitary soldier, of groups of characters caught up in a war far greater than themselves. Barry has attempted to remain impartial but the titles reveal his loyalties.

The prints available in the gallery are a selection from these recent series and reflect these themes.