Josh DeSmit utilizes a background in printmaking,
an affinity for street art and spray paint, and a love for the
outdoors to create his one-of-a-kind mixed media pieces.
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His style is truly unique in the world of sporting art.
About Josh DeSmit
Josh DeSmit is an obsessed artist, trout bum, and fly tier. He is also an avid hunter, outdoorsman, and former professional and collegiate hockey player. Josh grew up and still lives in Minneapolis, MN. He learned to trout fish and read water on the pocket riddled brook trout streams of Michigan's Upper Peninsula where his family owns a cabin. This combination of city life and wilderness adventure has become the foundation for Josh's artistic style.
Josh graduated from Lawrence University (Appleton, WI) in 2011, where he earned his BA in Studio Art. Here he learned to combine media in fascinating ways, and he continues to explore the power of spray paint which he uses in many of his works. Below is an artist statement that defines what Josh hopes his audience will take from his artistic expression
Artist Statement
The goal for my body of work is to illuminate the liminality of the contemporary sporting life, especially that of the fly fisher. I am constantly combining a group of imagery gathered while fly fishing the rural midwest with elements of graffiti and street art found in urban centers. Through this imagery I aim to express the duality of city life and the weekend getaway (or the after work getaway for that matter). Many young fly fishermen and women are growing up in a stimulating society.
The traditionally static artistic portrayals of the sport fail to relate to these up-and-comer's lifestyles and experiences had while juggling everything and fishing. My art accentuates the chaos, detail, beauty, and desperation that results from the young fly fisher feeding in the film between urban and rural, school and work, love and a beer.
