Poster from 3SMITH’s, an exhibit in July 2019 featuring the works of Tony Smith (center) and his sons Willie (left) and Evan (right).
One memory of my friend Tony Smith, who died this past Thanksgiving Day, was his penchant for wearing T-shirts. Ever confident in himself, he wasn’t one to hide the paunch such apparel revealed, even emphasizing the tummy bump in drawings of himself — attire as satire.
I wonder what he would’ve thought if these out-of-context descriptions about him and his artwork, found sprinkled in 15 Bytes articles, were printed on T-shirts (choose a favorite):
“Fancy Bags of Cheap Tricks”
“Trap Doors and Fake Bottoms”
“Droll Puns and Funny Faces”
“A Smart Ass”
“Burnt and Over the Hill”
“The Shredder“
“Wasn’t One to Coddle”
I was fortunate to have met (almost) every Thursday evening at Rio Grande Café in Salt Lake City with Tony, his best friend the painter Doug Snow, art collector Nick Gosdis, and Tony’s son Willie Smith, from 2005 until 2021.
Well, except Doug died in 2009. Then Nick two years ago — pretty much ending our routine of passing sketches around for others to embellish and modify, talking about art and opera, and solving the world’s problems.
Tony Smith at the old Rio Grande Café, sending an absent Frank McEntire his regards
Having announced I’d miss a few Thursdays in a row prompted the making of a T-shirt (see above). While in Houston, a photo of it was sent to me by the chips and salsa munchers from the Rio. This set the stage for T-shirt taunting, like this one about Willie’s obsession with the sitcom, “Jessie.” So, yes, T-shirts were a thing.
Willie Smith receives
There are many ways to view someone’s life and art. I’ve listed a few descriptive phrases above that give glimpses about Tony Smith. Some apply to his art, while all apply to who he was. There are others that hint at his legacy that would dress up a T-shirt nicely (choose a favorite):
“I Find My Juice While Drawing”
“Nothing is Sacred”
“Iconoclastic Tinkerer”
“Irreverent, Wicked, Sly, Laugh-Out-Loud Funny”
“Golf and Cigars Are Not Metaphors”
“Influencer of Generations of Young Artists”
“A Professional Fiddler, Professional Goofer who also plays golf—a lot”
“Imbued with Magic, Possibility, and Surprise” — “all legends, of course.”
If Tony could choose wording for a couple of T-shirts from these 15 Bytes reviews, I’m pretty sure he’d choose:
“An Educator Who Worked Hard and Was Reasonably Responsible,” and most importantly, “Consumed with Family.”
Tony is now gone, I don’t see Willie anymore, and the Rio Grande just isn’t the same funky grand place it used to be since the 2020 earthquake forced it to relocate by the U. of U. campus. But Tony’s influence on my life and art is constant. His intelligence, humor, generosity, and hope for a better world are more than T-shirt slogans.
In a 15 Bytes article, “Tony Rides Again,” much praise is given about him as a teacher and artist. “Going on like this,” writes Shawn Rossiter, “one might think the artist is dead and this a memorial service. To which one can hear Smith say, ‘Hell no, you’re not done with me yet.’” And neither are those of us who have had Tony in our lives and are fortunate to see or own work from his astonishing portfolio.
All images courtesy of the author.
Information about a memorial service for Tony is forthcoming.
Read some of our articles on Tony:
Coloring Outside the Lines: Willie, Evan and Tony Smith, July, 2019
Tony Smith: We’re All Mad Here, July, 2019
For What It’s Worth: The Life and Art of Tony Smith, January 2016
What’s New: Tony Smith, January, 2015
Tony Smith Rides Again, May, 2013
FINALLY . . . a book about Tony Smith, November, 2011
Frank McEntire, former executive director of the Utah Arts Council, is a sculptor, independent curator, and arts administrator and was the art critic for The Salt Lake Tribune and Salt Lake City magazine.
Categories: In Memoriam | Visual Arts
Frank, What an amazing and deep relationship you had with Tony. I’m sure the loss is deep and his presence, humor, intellect and perspective is missed. Not to mention his art…his incredible art. Tony was a true iconoclast who will be missed by all who knew and loved him. Truly an art legacy in Utah! Thank you for sharing this brilliant tribute.
Frank, my quick memory of Tony. I was in a pleinaire painting workshop with Tony. Myself and a few more artists were painting alongside a grassy side road. Tony was in his van shouting “Drive by” comments on the work..,,”more Alizarin, recheck drawing”, etc. surprisingly his mobile critiques were generally spot on. He influenced so many. Thanks to Tony.
Thanks Frank. You are a good friend to artists.
A fine and fitting eulogy, Frank. RIP Tony.
I knew Tony only intermittently but every time we saw each other we connected with humor.
Maybe partly because I visited him and Diane in Sugarhouse within hours of precious Willie’s birth at home. It sewed the tone for brief chats over the years.
Intermittently too at Forest Dale Golf Course. Never golfed together but I am sure he will continue to hit the ball “far and straight”.
Jody and I have two Smiths in our house.
I look at them with awe and incredulity.
And shed tears for an amazing soul.
Tony “Hey Erickson! Do You know where that painting is goin.?
Erickson “I think so.”
Tony “That’s too bad. ”
Dear Tony: It may take several lifetimes to digest Your Irony. I hope theres
an airbrush and compressor waiting for you in Heaven!
Clearly, Tony knew a vital secret concerning art, which may well account for both the excellent of his own works and the revelatory power of his teaching. Someone who takes up the materials of a medium knowing precisely what the product or result is to be, and achieves just exactly that, does not, in so doing, make art. Real art is the stuff that breaks through intention and illustration and reveals itself only as it becomes visible (or audible, or otherwise knowable), through the effort. You, John Erickson, learned this well and demonstrate it in the seeking that is evident in your portraits and landscapes. In their layering and repeated visits to places,
they become ever-more vivid and lively, present and right.
I was taking summer quarter in the Art Department when Tony was doing his large scale painting in the Biology Building done in his very tight airbrush style and he titled it Blueberry Biology. Someone from the Utah Chronicle went to interview Tony about his painting. They asked Tony “what does it have to do with Biology?”
Tony said “it is in the Biology Building”. Doesn’t get much better.
Thanks Frank, for your frank recollections of Tony Smith and his iconic/ironic work. Well done to both of you.
The experience I gained from my one drawing class with Tony has stayed with me forever. He could bring out the imagination in his students that they did not know they even had. I did not realize until much later in life how valuable what he taught me really was.
You did it again, Frank. Hearfelt. Heartbroken. Thank you for this treasure of words and feelings.