"LIBERTE" by Megan Smith, Oil on Canvas

DETAILS: 36” X 72” Oil on Canvas Unstretched Original Art Work  2021 DESCRIPTION: A truly transformative piece whereby, the completion of it, culminated in the midst of a pandemic.  Truly the discovery of a higher love for the SELF. Liberty.  Liberation from the invisible shackles our human race is plagued with.  The first piece of a series that encouraged me to explore the emotive responses that come with different variations of movement.   It took immense discipline to stay true to the lines, and each septet, the 7 chakras, intentional movements to address the nurturing or in some cases “unblocking” of each chakra.  A form of intentional, rhythmical release.   This piece taught me the significance muscle memory plays in achieving the perfect lines, but above all I felt the most familiar connection to the athlete in me with the “artist”, the mental memory of that guided me to the finish line.  Preparing the perfect set up in my space, calculated in every step, precedes precision, not to far different from hitting the perfect forehand, both demanding a fluid choreography of the body.  Remarkable. ABOUT THE ARTIST: Instagram: @m_e_g_a_n__smith_ Megan Smith Megan Smith, the athlete, the artist. Having found solace and resolve in and through Art, during her time as a student athlete, right into the pursuit of a professional tennis career.   Thought provoking, emotionally charged are phrases that come to mind when describing the common theme of this artists work.  It is through these creative outlets, “the way through” pain, heartache and suffering finds its truest expression, in the beautiful discipline of painting. During her studies spending time in Europe establishing a portfolio of ideas, from first hand grand mastery, and later exploring darker, more psychological pieces heavily rooted in the struggle of injury and mental health.  In this first solo exhibition, two things are most prevalent, one the true definition of “concept artist” and two “the process”.  In this particular series the process used to bring these elaborate concepts to life, is movement. IDEOKINESIS, by definition, ideas in motion.   The “fieldwork” of her life culminating in an utterly intriguing intrinsic world that tells a story of passion, pitfall, tragedy and triumph, all through the sincerity of non objectivity.  Influences ranging from strong influence in Kandinsky and the non objective simplicity, Davinci and the Vetruvian man, Dali and his manic pursuit of the perfect way to paint, the list of Artistic genius’s is a bold one for any who dare to delve into the minds of the mad men and the genius’s that forged the fine art world.  No small task to take on, but something tells me this Artist will be one to keep an eye on. Choosing to work large scale, on unstretched canvas with ability to work on the ground and have a perimeter to move around, allows for a connectivity between mind and body, a choreography of sorts. The Process.  ARTIST STATEMENT Movement has been the main constant to my existence.   When asked what was most important to me, no longer having tennis in my life, no longer an opportunity to not only move but, master a set of impressive movement skills (in tennis ocular excellence is just as important as how hard you condition the body and mind to perform). Moving with the ability to REACT, quickly but with the right TIMING, get into position, with just enough time to, transfer your weight forward, all the while maintaining a close visual on the fuzzy green ball you need to hit perfectly in order for the best possible outcome, not even to “win”, no no to win?  You have to find a way to do keep errors low, and good hits great, bad hits, lucky and efficient.   HOW efficient you can perform all that, consistently Every, Single. Time. And if not?   Find the gaps, the “chinks in the chain” of high performance, and go about the business of eliminating the probability of them, as if your life depended on it.   Because the mere idea of doing ANYTHING else in life seems so unbearable.   Needless to say, of all the hard sports out there tennis is a fierce competitor for the top 5 I reckon.   And for quite some time, my fiercest love.  There you have it.  The recipe, or “sauce” if you will.  Who I am. What I am and the fieldwork that my life has been, it tells for a very powerful story, I hope to make it a visually intriguing one. I sit here 3 years later, attempting to discover my ideas through movement.  Correlation to mood, and motion has been a remarkable way for me to find the marriage with what was  once my deepest most intense passion growing up,  and the condition I believe I am plagued with, Artist.