SMITH, RODNEY

RODNEY SMITH
American, 1947-2016

At once elegant and witty, the sophisticated compositions and stylish characters in the extraordinary pictures of fashion photographer Rodney Smith (1947-2016) exist in a timeless world of his imagination. Born in New York City, Smith began as a photo essayist, turned to portrait photography, and found his niche and greatest success in fashion photography. Inspired by W. Eugene Smith, taught by Walker Evans, and devoted to the techniques of Ansel Adams, Smith was driven by the dual ideals of technical mastery and pure beauty. Over his 45-year career, Smith developed a unique photographic vision, one that is beautiful, ordered and inhabited by well-dressed ladies and gentlemen. He banishes the chaos of modern life for another that is grounded in a romantic view of the past. For Smith, photography was a tool for spiritual exploration and self-understanding.

Smith graduated from University of Virginia in 1970 and went on to earn a master’s degree in theology from Yale. In the mid-1980s Smith caught the attention of art directors and magazine editors who commissioned him to create journalistic portraits of CEOs around the world.

By the 1990s, his editorial clients included The New York Times, W Magazine, Vanity Fair and New York Magazine. Smith was immersed in shooting fashion for Neiman Marcus, Bergdorf Goodman, and Ralph Lauren. All sought to tap his unique affinity for spontaneity, humor and surrealism.

Rodney Smith died in 2016 at the age of 68. His work continues to be shown in museums and galleries and is widely collected. The Estate of Rodney Smith is dedicated to preserving his archive and sharing his signature aesthetic and whimsical humor with the world.