Born: 1953
Hometown: Santa Rosa
Based in: Santa Rosa, CA
Robert Michael Smith is an active pioneer of digital sculpture, 3D CG visualization/animation, virtual reality, robotic CNC milling, 3D printed sculptures and synthetic biology. Smith Retired from teaching Aug. 2019 after 40 years of academia at numerous institutions nationally and internationally including 20 years as Tenured Associate Professor of Digital Art & Design at New York Institute of Technology.
Smith exhibited extensively globally during the past forty years including Digital Stone Exhibition at Beijing Today Art Museum, Shanghai Duolun Museum of Modern Art, Chongqing Jinse Gallery, Wenzhou ArtMap Gallery, China including Autodesk Design Museum, San Francisco, CA. Smith’s sculptures are included in the permanent collections of China National Museum of Fine Art at Beijing and Datong Museum of Contemporary Sculpture,
During past several decades Smith has served as a Board Director for several 501(c)(3) not-for- profit organizations including International Sculpture Center, Sculptors Guild NYC, SIGGRAPH Manhattan, and continues as a co-founding Board Director of Digital Stone Project.
Smith has lectured at numerous universities, international conferences, and featured in several international articles and books including Bruce Wand’s “Art of the Digital Age”, published by Thames and Hudson.
October 2012 Smith completed “Biophormatalasmith Stage One: Bio-Sculpture: Rapid Prototyping Human Biological Material for Sculpture”, Art & Science collaboration with Dr. Anthony Atala at Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine to 3D print living human tissue of an invented sculptural form designed by CAD. This project was a featured lecture presentation, “In Search of the Lost Cord” at XXXVII Brown Symposium, “What Things May Come: 3D Printing in the Fine Arts and Sciences”, Alma Thomas Theater, Sarofim School of Fine Arts, Southwestern University, Georgetown, Texas during February 2015.
"Art is alchemy: the magic, observation, process and ritual of life. My sculptures, both virtual and actual, are conversations regarding the archetypal forms that are the basic structures of nature. I build alien abstract worlds that become familiar through frequent immersion. Open exploration to the deepest regions of the human psyche for development within the landscape of the imagination."
What inspires you?
Sea Creatures, Pre-Cambrian Fossils, Anatomy, Quantum Physics, Psychology, Technology, Cabinets of Curiosity,
Describe your creative process.
Observation, Unconscious Intuition, Rumination, Critical Analysis, Visualization, Logistical Preconception, Proactive Manifestation
What are 3 words that best describe your work?
Biomorphic, Alien, Eternal
Who are some artists that have influenced your work?
Hieronymous Bosch, Jean Arp, Constantin Brancusi, Alberto Giacometti, Isamu Noguchi, Marcel Duchamp, Georgia O'Keefe, David Smith, Pablo Picasso, Robert Rauschenberg, Donatello, Michelangelo, Bernini, Rodin, Camille Claudel, Max Ernst, Man Ray, Edward Kienholz, Manuel Neri, John Battenberg, James Surls
What is the most important tool when creating your work?
Brain
What is the best piece of advice you have been given?
Work Hard, Play Hard; Carpe Diem
Where do you go for inspiration?
Ancient Sacred Ruins such as World Heritage Sites; Coral Reefs; Natural History Museum; Museo della Specola, Firenze; my Garden
Education
MFA Sculpture, University of Hawaii at Manoa, Honolulu, HI
United States of America, 1982
MA Sculpture, San Jose State University, San Jose, CA
United States of America, 1979
BFA Graphic Design, San Jose State University, San Jose, CA
United States of America, 1976
AA Art, Santa Rosa Junior College, Santa Rosa, CA
United States of America, 1974
Exhibitions
“25 years of InterSculpt 1995 - 2020”, Galerie Maitre Albert, Paris, France
2020
“Le Pietre Splendenti”, Castiglione di Garfagnana, Italy
2019
“CNC: Carbo Nato Di Calcio”, Villa Bertelli, Forte dei Marmi, Italy
2018
“The Second Scene - The Invitational Exhibition of Contemporary Sculpture & Installation”, 798 Bridge Gallery, Beijing, China
2018
"Stronger Together: Exhibition of Tech Art”, Knockdown Center, Maspeth, Queens, NY
2017
Chelsea Gallery PopUp Exhibition at Zaha Hadid Condo Building, New York, NY
2017
“3D Glitch”, Filodrammatica Gallery, Rijeka, Croatia
2017
“Regenesis”, Solo Exhibition, Hammerfriar Gallery, Healdsburg, CA
2013
“Art of the 21st Century”, Housatonic Museum, Bridgeport, CT
2012
Datong 1st International Sculpture Biennial Exhibition, Datong, Shanxi, China
2011
Beijing Tomorrow Art Gallery
2011
Solo Exhibition, Hammerfriar Gallery, Healdsburg, CA
2010
Beijing Tomorrow Art Gallery
2010
“Digital Stone Exhibition”, sponsored by Autodesk, Jinse Gallery, Chongqing; and Art Map Gallery, Wenzhou
2009
“Digital Stone Exhibition”, sponsored by Autodesk, Beijing Today Art Museum; Shanghai Duolun Museum of Modern Art
2008
Supermarket 2008, Stockholm, Sweden
2008
Art Cologne, Koln, Germany
2007
Awards
Golden Bay International Sculpture Arts Festival, Shenzhen
2019
“Best of Show”, Cloverdale Outdoor Sculpture Exhibition, CA
2010
Education
MFA Sculpture, University of Hawaii at Manoa, Honolulu, HI
United States of America, 1982
MA Sculpture, San Jose State University, San Jose, CA
United States of America, 1979
BFA Graphic Design, San Jose State University, San Jose, CA
United States of America, 1976
AA Art, Santa Rosa Junior College, Santa Rosa, CA
United States of America, 1974
Exhibitions
“25 years of InterSculpt 1995 - 2020”, Galerie Maitre Albert, Paris, France
2020
“Le Pietre Splendenti”, Castiglione di Garfagnana, Italy
2019
“CNC: Carbo Nato Di Calcio”, Villa Bertelli, Forte dei Marmi, Italy
2018
“The Second Scene - The Invitational Exhibition of Contemporary Sculpture & Installation”, 798 Bridge Gallery, Beijing, China
2018
"Stronger Together: Exhibition of Tech Art”, Knockdown Center, Maspeth, Queens, NY
2017
Chelsea Gallery PopUp Exhibition at Zaha Hadid Condo Building, New York, NY
2017
“3D Glitch”, Filodrammatica Gallery, Rijeka, Croatia
2017
“Regenesis”, Solo Exhibition, Hammerfriar Gallery, Healdsburg, CA
2013
“Art of the 21st Century”, Housatonic Museum, Bridgeport, CT
2012
Datong 1st International Sculpture Biennial Exhibition, Datong, Shanxi, China
2011
Beijing Tomorrow Art Gallery
2011
Solo Exhibition, Hammerfriar Gallery, Healdsburg, CA
2010
Beijing Tomorrow Art Gallery
2010
“Digital Stone Exhibition”, sponsored by Autodesk, Jinse Gallery, Chongqing; and Art Map Gallery, Wenzhou
2009
“Digital Stone Exhibition”, sponsored by Autodesk, Beijing Today Art Museum; Shanghai Duolun Museum of Modern Art
2008
Supermarket 2008, Stockholm, Sweden
2008
Art Cologne, Koln, Germany
2007
Awards
Golden Bay International Sculpture Arts Festival, Shenzhen
2019
“Best of Show”, Cloverdale Outdoor Sculpture Exhibition, CA
2010
Press
Interview, Mojo City, November 2011, Beijing, China
2011
ArtfixDaily, “Autodesk Aids Sculptors in Art-Making”, November 18, 2010
2010
"Pushing Granite" by Penelope Colville, China Today, Sept. 2010
2010
"DIGITAL STONE EXHIBITION: Doland Museum of Modern Art, Shanghai, China" by Andrew Werby,
2008
"Art of the Digital Age" by Bruce Wands
2006
“Loving the Alien”, by Nicholas Seeley, Photos by Eyad Obeid, JO Magazine, July 2006, Amman, Jordan
2006
"Fluid Borders: The Aesthetic Evolution of Digital Sculpture", by Christiane Paul
1998
“La Sculpture Numerique”, by Christian Lavigne, “Computer Arts”, Sept. 1998
1998
"VRML: 3-D Internet Imaging", by Robert Michael Smith, Sculpture magazine, May/June 1996 issue
1996