Sullivan+Strumpf’s upcoming exhibition, If Then Else, brings forward a compelling exploration of colour, gesture, and process by Australian artist Gemma Smith. Running from May 8 to 31, this showcase highlights Smith’s innovative practice of fusing calculated intention with the unpredictable, mirroring the way we experience life itself—full of intent and inevitability, shaped by the forces we control and those we can’t.
Central to this exhibition is Smith’s continued meditation on the relationship between the artist’s will and the painting’s obstinate nature. Using an evolving method that demands both surrender and control, her works evoke a playful yet disciplined approach to art-making. Through layers of colour, gesture, and erasure, Smith invites viewers into a world where the final painting is always an accumulation of decisions, indecisions, and accidents. It is through this tension between intention and outcome that Smith’s true mastery lies.
One of the standout pieces in this exhibition is Scripting (2025), a large-scale acrylic on canvas (280 × 380 cm) that exemplifies her meticulous yet fluid use of colour. In it, Smith employs a vibrant palette of plums, corals and greens, punctuated by hot pinks and acid greens, reflecting her deep understanding of colour theory. These hues exist not only as visual elements but as the vestiges of moments in time, layers built over the course of weeks or months, revealing her process of continuous dialogue with the canvas.
Smith’s practice is rooted in the idea of unpredictability—both in her approach and in her results. While the final piece may appear effortless, it is the culmination of rigorous decision-making, where a “failed” painting can be revisited months later and transformed into something entirely new. The artist’s method involves a close, physical engagement with the canvas, often working from above and without stepping back to see the full picture until it’s complete. This allows the painting to develop organically, often leading to unexpected and delightful outcomes.
The works in If Then Else are more than just abstract paintings; they are mental games that offer viewers a chance to enter the artist’s space of revision and recalibration. Each brushstroke is a trace of thought, every layer a fragment of a decision left behind. As Sophie Rose, who penned the exhibition essay, notes, Smith’s works do go some way to challenge any viewer, in “unpicking its fine layers,” tracing the gestural movements that come together in an intricate dance of colour and form.
In addition to the physical works, the conceptual underpinnings of Smith’s practice shine through in the exhibition’s accompanying essay. Titled Studio Games, it outlines the artist’s unique approach to creation, which often involves self-imposed restrictions and “thought experiments.” This aligns Smith with other avant-garde figures, such as the Surrealists and Oulipo writers, whose works similarly experimented with formal constraints and subconscious impulses. Whether it’s the controlled chaos of her ‘shadow’ paintings or the more recent large-scale pieces that demand a physically limited engagement, Smith’s art remains a testament to her refusal to let the process become “easy” or predictable.
With this exhibition, Gemma Smith once again solidifies her place as one of Australia’s most innovative contemporary artists, using colour and gesture to explore the boundaries of intentionality, randomness, and self-discovery. If Then Else is an invitation to experience the unpredictable beauty that arises from the intersection of control and surrender—an experience worth seeing firsthand.
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