A catalogue published in conjunction with John Smith's solo exhibition Waldeinsamkeit: Films from the 21st Century at Kunstmuseum Magdeburg, Germany in 2022, concentrating primarily on video works produced over the past two decades. The fully illustrated book features an extended essay on Smith’s oeuvre by Erika Balsom that focuses upon Smith’s role as a chronicler of the world around him.
“Critics often describe Smith’s practice as exploring things like ‘the power of language to direct and misdirect’ or ‘the gulf between illusionism and formalism’ – and with ample reason. But in addition to these concerns, the artist has long been a chronicler of the world around him. This aspect of his work has become especially pronounced in the twenty-first century, when he has increasingly broached political questions in personal ways, casting new light on his earlier films and videos. For Smith, the fraught interval between the self and the world is a space of ethical responsibility, technological mediation, and eccentric humour.”
Erika Balsom Numerous images from the thirteen works in the exhibition are accompanied by short texts about each piece, written by Smith himself and the museum’s curators. Documented works include Hotel Diaries (2001-07), Flag Mountain (2010), The Man Phoning Mum (2011), unusual Red cardigan (2011), Horizon (Five Pounds a Belgian) (2012), Dad’s Stick (2012), White Hole (2014), Steve Hates Fish (2015), Who Are We? (2016), Jour de Fête (2017), A State of Grace (2019), Covid Messages (2020) and Record (2021).
