Interview with Peter Smyth: “I suppose I feel I’m making something of utter complexity or abstract thoughts we have about what goes on beneath us, underground and all around us.”

Currently and for the past year and a half, my work has been influenced by ecological thought, the philosophy entangled with it and certain ecosystems within that such as fungal networks and the organisms they interact with. That combined with the overarching dichotomy of the ontology of painting and that of digital art. By that, I mean calling into question by means of implementation, the properties of both and their relations to one another.

My work and my process utilises both mediums in its conception. I view my paintings as a collaborator and competitor to digital art, it almost must be as why else would I paint the canvases if could print to them to the same effect, I say to myself. The weight, the texture, relief, the traces of human experiences achieved in paint, they cannot be replicated by any AI even, or maybe I’ll eat those words.

What about your artistic style?

In terms of the actual aesthetic, stylistic representation of my work. It’s formulated by drawing shapes acquired from deconstructing imagery of plant life, such as petals, leaves, stems to mappings of fungal networks.

I create usually rudimentary looking 3d extrusions of them, sometimes rigid and sharp, sometimes curved, I suppose maybe because I’m thinking of them broken down or zoomed into on a micro level. To then assemble those in a piece of software that renders lighting and different textures/materials is interesting, they’re recognisable shapes, but the colours chosen are arbitrary, like the process of constructing the compositions altogether. I’m left with something I could never have envisioned from the start, the depth achieved then within the painting is something that engages our sense of contextual space, or at least that’s what I hope it achieves. I suppose I feel I’m making something of utter complexity or abstract thoughts we have about what goes on beneath us, underground and all around us. 

The world around us in general, the systems present, the forces at work, the sheer scope of it all. I’m always baffled, like many of us, about the infinitude of things which surround and affect us in so many aspects; the individual leaves on each bush, the tree outside my window, to the quantum level of what passes through our bodies every moment we exist. I feel as though I must express that in some form, like some sort of votive offering to the world. Some do that through nurturing more growth in terms of gardening for instance. I like to think I’m doing a bit of gardening myself with my paintings, my arrangements. I coined a term for my paintings, some are titled as such, calling them ‘Arborisms’ after what you call an arborist or tree surgeon.

The artistic community in a Dublin, theres a lot of positive things for such a small country. Maybe it’s the artist friends I’ve made and the other connections that make it all feel very tight knit, or a smaller world to me. Whether that’s necessarily a good thing I’m not sure. Theres certainly a hunger for art in Dublin and that’s great, however I’ll report back in the future on how far Dublin alone may get you as an artist. Whilst you can get great opportunities here, it’s a matter of how many and for whom, due to the scale of the creative industries/ gallery scene here.

Has there been anyone who inspired you to continue your art?

Other than the unwavering support of my parents since I was young, theres one person who’s been a massive proponent in my career so far, that would be the artist Al Maser.

When covid hit I left my retail job on the back end of finishing my postgrad and I had the time to focus on painting. Maser bought two of my early works and invited me into his studio to have a chat. He expressed his belief in me and that gave me more encouragement to go all in. He offered me a solo show in 2021 and it opened in March 2022. It provided me a platform to showcase my work and to be seen by new audiences. To have had my first show in Atelier Now at such a pivotal time, I will be forever grateful. To be told you have what it takes from somebody who has had already such a successful art career and then to be backed by him in that instance was incredible. Not only that being a success for me, it introduced me to other artists who have a similar mentor relationship with Al, whom I have become great friends with.

To see artists like Sean Atmos, who is a fantastic artist and friend, do so well from a similar position but with a different artistic background, it inspires me to keep going. When you see colleagues around you thrive you are reminded in your own practice that you can achieve things with hard work and consistency, and with a good group of artists in your circle or environment.

What is the best piece of advice given to you?

Patience being a virtue, or not to cut corners, or don’t rush anything. Whatever way you like to take that, it remains very important to me, though simple and cliché in essence. My father is a massive perfectionist when it comes to fabricating anything, tackling any project and that has rubbed off on me, though it only took most of my life. There’s an inherent urge at times I feel to push out work to keep up with everything that goes on in our online lives, that’s a massive issue in this ‘content’ generation, it’s a fine line to balance when you’re trying to make progress and be seen.