Objects Overview — Terry Smith

OBJECTS AND ADDITIONS

I have always made things, my first works were sculpture, abstract ready made when I was fifteen. I had never heard of a ready made but by chance i was on a school visit to the Commonwealth Institute in London. In the foyer was what looked like bits of metal randomly assembled. I asked my teacher what it was “sculpture” he said.
Later I found out it was by Anthony Caro. What amazed me was that it was made from ordinary materials, things I recognised and I thought it was amazing. A few months later I was taken to the ICA and saw the work of Kienholtz. This was like a revelation. All of the small water colours, sketches, cartoons and poetry that I had been doing in secret made sense. I always knew I was different - I was an artist.

I divide my work into various random categories. I keep changing what I call them.

I think of my work generally in these terms:- the process as drawing the action as an intervention

Then this is subdivided into wall cuts where I subtract from the space in someway and then the add-ons, like the staple works, the hooks and dust works as additions.

At this moment I am beginning the process of cataloguing my work and so this category is at the moment very incomplete. But it is here as a sample of the kinds of things I have made that are attached to a wall, but not free standing.