After “going bush” for an extensive spiritual period representing animal totems carved in wood, Dean Smith Dancing Bear returns to the city, returns to bronze, returns to figurative study, and rather than dwelling on the melancholy realities of the human world, he presents a series of romantic portraits with a narrative of joyful antics, flamboyant moments and intimate expressions.
The intention is to demonstrate the solidity and sensuality of flesh, along with the physical mass of bronze, he then subverts both with hyperactive energy. Through detailed textures, composition, sculptural technique and scaling emerges a powerful emotional resonance.