Kris Smith

Career Summary
Kris Smith’s expertise includes photography, multimedia, graphic design, painting, printmaking and project-based community arts practice.

His images have been showcased at such venues as the Pearl Street Gallery, Brooklyn New York; Wieliczka Gallery, Poland; Perth Institute of Contemporary Arts (PICA); The Art Gallery of NSW; Lake Macquarie City Art Gallery; Maitland Regional Art Gallery; the University of North Carolina and the SMARTlab, University of East London.

Conceptual Focus
Concepts of time and properties of light are a primary focus of recent paintings and photographs. Using time-lapse photography, the path of the sun and the consequent changing colour temperature of light throughout a day is documented in a range of environments. Photographs and digital animations are constructed that emphasize these qualities of light and the impact of apparently subtle changes that occur over time. The images are usually presented as a combination of large-scale digital prints and digital projections. Underpinning the work are studies of pre-cinema time-lapse photography and modernist films of the 1920's investigating time as a fourth dimension in art.

ARC Research
Supported by the Australian Research Council's Linkage Projects funding scheme, Kris has been a Chief Investigator on “The Growing Up with Cancer” project. This project used traditional and creative practice research to understand the experience of having cancer during adolescence and young adulthood. It brought together researchers, artists, advocates and clinicians at the Centre for Values, Ethics and the Law in Medicine, University of Sydney, the University of Newcastle, the Children’s Hospital at Westmead, and CanTeen – the Australian organisation for young people living with cancer. Those engaged in this project not only participated in interviews, but also collaborated with Kris or worked on their own to produce a self-portrait that represented them and the impact of cancer on their experience of growing up. These works have been shown at eight venues within Australia including hospitals, and community, art and education spaces. The imagery and research has been published, and presented at international conferences in Australia and the UK. The images created by the participants in this project are now on permanent display in the recently completed Victorian Comprehensive Cancer Centre (VCCC) located in the Melbourne suburb of Parkville. This $1 billion facility is purpose-built for cancer research, treatment, care and education. The centre provides a brand new home for the VCCC, the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, and new cancer research and clinical services for Melbourne Health (including the Royal Melbourne Hospital), along with new cancer research facilities for The University of Melbourne.

Teaching Expertise
Digital Photomedia course design and delivery. Interactive multimedia and digital video. Digital models for classroom and web based learning material. Digital portfolio production. Black and white photography: technique and darkroom practice. Studio Photography. Masters and PhD supervision.

Administrative Expertise
Coordination of Photomedia within the School of Creative Industries, University of Newcastle.

Kris currently works in a painting and photography studio located in Newcastle, Australia.