Aline Smithson at wall space gallery

Lucy in Turquoise by Aline Smithson, courtesy wall space gallery

Lucy in Turquoise by Aline Smithson, courtesy wall space gallery

Artist/photographer Aline Smithson, whose beautiful work graced the cover of Santa Barbara Seasons Magazine in spring 2015, will be in town Friday night to show her the work and celebrate the release of her long awaited monograph, Self & Others: Portrait as Autobiography.

Smithson’s roots in traditional painting and portraiture are the background for her latest body of work, Revisiting Beauty. “In the footsteps of classical portraiture, her images filled with vibrant rich color and the simple beauty of the young women sitting before her brings to mind Kusakabe Kimbei’s stunning hand painted portraits of young Japanese women. It is the connection to her subject that her standing out from the often overflowing world of portrait photographers,” says wall space gallery owner Crista Dix.

Lexie Turned by Aline Smithson, courtesy wall space gallery

Lexie Turned by Aline Smithson, courtesy wall space gallery

The gallery will show a selection of highlighted works of Alines’ many portrait series. Arrangement in Green & Black (Portrait of the Photographer’s Mother), Revisiting Beauty and hand painted silver gelatin portraits.

Friday night November 6, from 6 – 8 p.m., Smithson will give an artist talk and sign books.

wall space gallery is located at 116 E. Yanonali St. in the Funk Zone of Santa Barbara. Open hours: Tu-Sa 11-5, Sun 12-5, and by appointment.

—Leslie Dinaberg

Self & Others by Aline Smithson

Originally published in Santa Barbara Seasons Magazine on October 4, 2015.