Daisy-Drew Smith
About the Artist
Daisy-Drew Smith
is an artist who works with photography and film. Their current work employs photographic prints to construct juxtapositions and references to horror & surrealist movies. Compelled by the parallels between stylised movies and real-life events, as well as the effects of trauma, Smith explores these themes in their photo and video works.
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Smith graduated from Bath Spa University in 2023, with First-Class BA (Hons) in Fine Art. They also studied art & film at Columbia College Chicago in 2022. Previously, Smith attended Birmingham Ormiston Academy to study Acting from 2017 - 2019.
In each series of photos, Smith creates and curates, there are noticeable film aesthetics. It is acknowledged in their colour grading and styles, as they use their photographs to pull together fictional cinematic universes. Acting as stills from movies that have never actually been made or released.
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Within the aesthetics of film, they are drawn to the architecture, exterior and interior. From gothic 16th-century to 1970s brutalist architecture. They explore how horror uses aesthetics to its advantage, to heighten reality or to add to a growing atmosphere etc. Colour grading allows them to manipulate and control various atmospheres and moods in their photos and videos. They tend to work with unnatural lighting colours, as much like what using blood does in their work, it adds to the drama of the scenes they are setting. Smith also uses colour grading to achieve a signature look to their work, making their work look cohesive. As some of the photographs or video contents might differ from one another, the colour grading brings them together. Showing that they are part of the same universe.
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For Smith, creating these pieces puts their own horrors in a place, that is not a reality for them anymore. To them, horror provides an important outlet and platform to speak about things that aren’t so comfortable to discuss. They also find that horror should not be emotionally draining, but also fun in the same way rollercoasters might be for some. They provide a kind of thrill, whilst still in the comfort of reality. They feel that it is also very important to laugh at the horrific, horror can be very comedic as well. Being brought up watching TV shows like Scooby Doo, has made their outlook on horror as something that can be outrageous and camp. They reflect this in the colours they use, keeping things bright and highly saturated. In most of the photos, the subject itself is the only thing eluding to the darkness and eeriness of the story being told. This type of juxtaposition is used frequently in the Horror genre, an example being in the cinematography of Suspriria (1977) directed by Dario Argento, with cinematography by Luciano Tovoli. Depicting dark themes of witches, cults and gruesome murders, contrasting with the visually stunning technicolour lighting and sets. Smith is inspired by the surrealist aspects of this kind of cinema, focusing on the dream-like and heightened reality.
Through their art, Smith explores the themes of fear, mortality, and the unknown, as well as the social and cultural commentary often present in horror films. They are fascinated by the way in which horror films can be both entertaining and thought-provoking, and strive to capture this complexity in their work. Ultimately, Smith’s goal as an artist is to create pieces that not only pay homage to the horror genre but also challenge and expand our understanding of it. They hope that their art inspires viewers to confront their fears, question their assumptions, and engage with the world around them in a more meaningful way.
