Richard Smith was one of the most distinctive, indefinable artists of the 1960s and 70s whose explorations of form and color embraced both Pop and Color Field painting. In the 1970s, the British artist developed his ‘kite’ paintings. In these works, he replaced the traditional stretcher frame with aluminum rods on which to stretch the canvases. Threads, strings, and ribbons are both the substrate for the works and a creative element. These stretcher-less paintings effectively became membrane-like surfaces. The diagonal orientation of the kites as well as the geometric organization of the shapes point to the approaches of early Constructivism. Smith continued to create his unconventional kite paintings into the 1980s. The monumental installation Shuttle consists of seven panels of painted canvas, stretched on aluminum bars and installed free-floating in a sequence which curves over a length of around 9 meters. The work was part of Smith’s major survey exhibition ‘Seven Exhibitions 1961–1965’ at the Tate Gallery, London, in 1975. In 1970, Richard Smith represented the United Kingdom at the Venice Biennale. In 1967, he won the Grand Prize at the 9th São Paulo Biennale.
