David Smith-Harrison - prints and biography

Biogrpahy

David Smith-Harrison (born 1959 in Salt Lake City, Utah) is an American artist recognized for his refined approach to drawing, printmaking, and painting. Trained at the University of Utah, Utah State University, and the South Glamorgan Institute in Cardiff, Wales, he developed an early reputation for his precision and dedication to classical traditions. During his formative years, he also worked as a studio assistant to several established artists, experiences that deepened his technical skills and instilled a lifelong discipline toward craftsmanship.

Smith-Harrison views drawing as the central pillar of his practice. For him, it is both a tool of observation and memory, and a method of investigating form, movement, light, and space. His commitment to draftsmanship has naturally informed his printmaking, where he works across etching, aquatint, mezzotint, photogravure, and mixed-media techniques. Each process is approached with patience and precision, often resulting in works that balance subtle textures with strong structural clarity.

Recurring subjects in his imagery include trees, architecture, and botanical forms, motifs that allow him to explore perspective, scale, and the dialogue between the natural and the constructed environment. While grounded in realism, his art also conveys a contemplative quality, often evoking quiet spaces that invite reflection.

Influenced by his admiration for the Italian Renaissance and other masters of draftsmanship, Smith-Harrison creates work that acknowledges art history while remaining contemporary and personal. Rather than imitating past models, he draws upon their lineage as a way of situating his own vision within a broader artistic continuum.

His career has brought him international recognition, with exhibitions across the United States and abroad. His prints and drawings are represented in public and private collections, including the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco, the Achenbach Foundation for Graphic Arts, Tama Art University Museum in Tokyo, Utah State University, and the Springville Museum of Art, among others. Now based in California, he continues to refine his art through a disciplined practice that merges tradition with personal interpretation, producing work that resonates with both historical reverence and contemporary sensitivity.