Exert from sketchbook.
Zak Smith is an American artist who works a lot with ink. His work is characterized by strong uses of line and pattern, particularly chaotic and jumbled collections of shapes. His work is complex, and he often works very small producing many smaller images and presenting them together in series. I love his work, the aesthetic is gritty and violent, dark and anarchistic, full of punk sensibilities. This particular image is typical of his sketchbook work and casual art, random, abstract and engrossing. I think the range of patterns and marks is indicative of a daily strive for interesting effects to use in his professional work.
He is influenced by artists such as Egon Schiele and Gustav Klimt, but also comic art and general punk aesthetics. He borrows the high level of ornament and pattern from Klimt and also his use of decorative finishes, Smith uses acrylics and inks to achieve a liquid and reflective effect. In terms of subject matter he often draws and paints very sexual pictures of women, who are mostly co-workers of his in the porn industry. He is easily my favorite artist, prolific and talented.
FozzyFozz 