SWAMP Closing Reception

Closing Reception of “SWAMP: A Meditation of Self and Silt”

With Special Guest:

Toby Vest of High|Low Recording will be performing Music

Brent Hale of Bluff City Tattoos will be providing Flash Tattoos inspired by the swamp.

SWAMP: A Meditation on Self and Silt
Hank Miles Smith
Closing June 14 | 6:00 PM
In collaboration with Wolf River Conservancy
At Ugly Art Co.

Artist Statement:
Swamp: A Meditation on Self and Silt

This show encapsulates a years’ meditation and study of the wetlands surrounding Memphis. When explored, wetlands by necessity break the possibility of passive observation. The bayous, brambles, and branches; the never ending collision of flora and fauna competing for death and life, drag the observer into the swamp to be a member and collaborator. With nothing concrete, and everything shifting and changing, the swamp acts as a limitless galaxy in which the physical and metaphysical can dance—where the observer can find answers and questions as they paddle deeper, past the ghostly feather-crowned spectres and beyond the gnawed wood edifices of comfort.

In this body of work, Hank Smith attempts to explore not just the shifting physical reality of the Delta Wetland and its relationship with the greater environment, but his own changes and challenges as an artist bonded to both nature and man. Through this series of acrylic paintings and sculptural installations, the swamp acts as both environment and actor.      

Artist Bio:
Hank Miles Smith is an artist and curator working in Memphis, Tennessee and originally from Lexington, Virginia. His work explores the intersection of humanity and nature in relation to southern identity, culture, and history. Predominantly a painter and illustrator, he also creates sculptural work utilizing found objects and heirlooms.

Hank is a 2024 recipient of the River Arts Fest Emerging Artist Fellowship and curator and collaborator at The Ugly Art Co.