While researching artists who have cleverly used Google earth or aerial photography I took a look at David Thomas Smiths work. Initially what I saw was tapestry or Persian style rugs. I always like to look at an artists work before reading too much about it to see what instantly comes to me before I read the artists intentions. What I saw initially were aesthetically pleasing images on closer inspection they reminded me of aerial views however there was an unusual symmetry to them. I have taken a long hard look at many documentary photographers trying to see new ways of bringing social issues to the forefront of conversation. As we are oversaturated with documentary images often aesthetically pleasing but all too familiar to the viewer so as to no longer catch their attention. This artist definitely caught my attention, each image is telling us a story about the industrialisation of our world and the consequences it causes. The work is complex so not only to we take the time to study the details within the images it also calls on us to become informed on the relevance of each image with further investigation. I believe David Thomas Smith has found a way to combine fine art with documentary using available imagery.
I imagine his images been created into tapestry or maintained for future museums to see a period in the world history where our environment was being greatly modified by industry, where the technology provided us all the knowledge accompanied by a history of our lack of action.
His work brought to mind the work of Andreas Gursky in showing us the world we live in but in a more time delayed manner that requires us to think about it a little longer.
http://www.thecopperhousegallery.com/artists/67-david-thomas-smith/works/392/
digitalimageandculture 