Gord Smith

Gordon Hammond Smith (October 8, 1937 – November 4, 2023) was a Canadian artist who sculpted geometric forms in metal and wood. He was considered one of Canada's leading sculptors of the postwar period and his work is marked by a great diversity of styles inspired by music, nature, and other themes. Trained in architecture and engineering, he produced work in metal that reflects a mastery of technique and conveys great flexibility.

Smith, alongside his postwar contemporaries Yves Trudeau, Armand Vaillancourt, and Gerald Gladstone, was testing the possibilities of welded-steel construction in the 1960s. thumb In 1967, Smith was elected to the Royal Canadian Academy of Arts. That same year, he was commissioned to create Canada Screen for the Canadian pavilion at Expo 67. The screen was made of cor-ten steel, measured 110' x 12' and weighed approximately 13 tons. Bursting with diverse elements, it is representative of the artist's desire to set movement within works that convey the transience and the intensity of life. The combination of rays and vertical beams from the study were incorporated into the Expo 67 Canada Screen. This sculpture, entitled Icarus, is permanently installed near Albert Campbell Square at the Scarborough Civic Centre. Another monumental piece, Sails, was made of stainless steel and commissioned by George Weston Limited. The abstract piece sits between two flights of steps at the front of Weston Centre (Toronto) and consists of three welded steel panels angled like the sails of a boat experiencing strong winds. The inscription on the sculpture reads "'Tis the set of her sails and not the gales that determines the way she goes". These three towering jagged-bronze figures now stand just west of the Art Gallery of Windsor in their outdoor sculpture park. The trio have a pegged market value of just over $440,000. Sails, 1982 by Gord Smith in front of the Weston Centre in Toronto. Smith was assistant professor in the Department of Visual Arts of the University of Victoria from 1972 to 1975. In 1993–1994, he assumed a teaching role as visiting professor in the Department of Art and History, McMaster University, Hamilton.

Smith died on November 4, 2023, at the age of 86.

Collections Smith's work is included in the permanent collections of: Confederation Centre Art Gallery National Gallery of Canada McGill University Daytona Beach Community College (now the Southeast Museum of Photography) Agnes Etherington Art Centre Montreal Museum of Contemporary Art Carleton University Art Gallery of Windsor

Honours 1967 - Member of the Royal Canadian Academy of Arts