Jed Webster Smith he/him (1992, Colorado) is an artist based out of Colorado. He received a B.A. in Anthropology and Studio Art from Fort Lewis College in 2015. After his undergraduate studies he worked in the museum field for several years as a curatorial assistant at the Center for Southwest Studies and preparator at the Southern Ute Museum. He received his MFA in Painting at the New York Academy of Art in 2021.
Raised in rural southwestern Colorado —surrounded by both fact and fictional histories of the West — my artistic work speaks to where I come from. My understanding of the world has been heavily influenced by these legacies which are presented in my work as interrogations between true and false narratives. This exposes existing myths and darker histories of the West often left out of the conversation. The critique lies in the details cloaked under subtle veils of nostalgia.
Historical influences and repercussions of colonialism, westward expansion, and man’s impact on the environment are addressed within the work. By using subversive depictions of the West I speak of the past and the present as the effects of this chapter in American history are ongoing. For inspiration, I heavily research a topic and pull from primary sources like old journals and first-hand accounts. Additionally, to further blur the line between fact and fiction I occasionally create a pseudo-artifact to accompany the finished painting. This element of the work directly confronts issues ongoing in America connected to the mythology of the West.
Raised in rural southwestern Colorado —surrounded by both fact and fictional histories of the West — my artistic work speaks to where I come from. My understanding of the world has been heavily influenced by these legacies which are presented in my work as interrogations between true and false narratives. This exposes existing myths and darker histories of the West often left out of the conversation. The critique lies in the details cloaked under subtle veils of nostalgia.
Historical influences and repercussions of colonialism, westward expansion, and man’s impact on the environment are addressed within the work. By using subversive depictions of the West I speak of the past and the present as the effects of this chapter in American history are ongoing. For inspiration, I heavily research a topic and pull from primary sources like old journals and first-hand accounts. Additionally, to further blur the line between fact and fiction I occasionally create a pseudo-artifact to accompany the finished painting. This element of the work directly confronts issues ongoing in America connected to the mythology of the West.