Climber

About Climber

This contemporary indoor bronze figurative sculpture of a male is designed to be mounted on the wall.

Like any artist, Roch Smith’s ideas for his artwork often begin as simply as that—as ideas. But, as a sculptor, unlike most of us, Smith thinks about ideas as 3-D objects. Once he gets into the studio and begins to ‘play’ with metal in hand, his vision takes shape. Highly regarded for his detailed and finely finished hand forged work, Smith is known for his creative and fun approach to serious subjects. He likes to explore themes that impact daily life—work and play. He also likes to play with scale, balance and the idea of disequilibrium.
The Climber is an intriguing wall composition cast in bronze that features a man, sitting on a long branch that is anchored to the wall. His legs are dangling. He is not hanging onto the branch. His situation appears somewhat precarious.

“People often ask where my ideas come from for things I make and I usually tell them that artists simply pay a bit more attention to certain aspects of the visual environment.” Roch Smith

Roch Smith received a BFA (Honours Sculpture) from the Emily Carr Institute of Art and Design (ECIAD - 1997) and an MFA from York University (2003). A teacher as well as an artist, he has taught classes at the University of Waterloo, ECIAD and York University. He currently manages and operates the bronze and aluminum foundry at York University. Roch Smith has exhibited throughout Canada and in the US. His work is included in private, corporate and museum collections.