"Stepladder Tagger" Painting

Chris Smith, AKA “subtexture”, is a Brooklyn-based artist and designer who works across a variety of visual media. He’s not a “street artist” in the traditional sense; rather, he makes art using objects found on the street. Road signs, rusted metal, and abandoned lumber all serve as ingredients.

• Influences include pop artists like Ed Ruscha, Andy Warhol and Robert Rauschenberg. Cross-country road trips, roadside Americana, vintage car culture and pin-ups never fail to inspire him. Like these artists, a lot of his work is heavily rooted in his photography. From his countless road trips to his years exploring the streets of Brooklyn, Smith looks at the world around him and uses bits of it as source material for his art.

• A graduate of Pratt Institute, Chris has shown extensively in independent galleries, bars and other alternative spaces around his native Brooklyn. He uses his skills as a curator to support small business and local organizations.

• His 20 years of producing art shows in the Greenpoint area include many local organizations such as GoGreen Brooklyn, Greenpoint Gallery Night, Greenpoint Open Studios, Bushwick Open Studios and the Northside Alliance.

• Chris’ artworks have appeared on multiple television shows, including Saturday Night Live, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, Law & Order SVU and Elementary.