Who was Lucien Smith? Details explored after famed multidisciplinary artist passes away at 37

Acclaimed artist Lucien Smith has died at 37. He was known for his abstract art, collaborations with some big names, and founding organizations like Serving the People.

Lucien Smith was born in Los Angeles on April 15, 1989, to a fashion designer mother and an artist father. He attended multiple schools before graduating from Santa Monica High in 2007. He then completed his education with a BFA from Cooper Union School of Art in 2011.

Having always been interested in art, Smith displayed some of his work at Cooper Union School. Jeanne Greenberg Rohatyn, owner of Salon 94 gallery, purchased one of his artworks back then, making him prominent in the art circle. Smith then continued to create art and hold exhibitions after completing college.

One of Lucien Smith's best-known works is his series of rain paintings. He used fire extinguishers to create the rain effect in multiple paintings. He also used other props like brooms or electric guitar bodies in multiple solo exhibitions.

ARTnews was the first to report Smith's death on Tuesday, September 8. However, the cause and other details of his death are unknown. Art dealer Bill Powers spoke about Smith, telling Page Six:

"When people remember contemporary art from the early teens of this century, it will be impossible not to include the work of Lucien Smith in that conversation. I’ll think of him whenever it rains, and sunny days, too. Our thoughts are with his mother and little brother now. Lucien had bought a house in Montauk where they all lived. His family was important to him.”

Smith was also set to have a show open this week at the Tripoli Gallery. The exhibition has now been delayed.

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Tributes pour in for Lucien Smith from the artist community after his death

Lucien Smith's death comes as a shock in the artist community, and they paid their tributes through multiple channels. Artist Andrew Kuo wrote on X (formerly Twitter):

"Lucien Smith was our friend and his death is tragic. This is a loss for our community. D*mn. Rest in peace, Lucien."

Jeanne Greenberg Rohatyn, who played a key role in Smith's early breakthrough, told ARTnews:

“When we met Lucien right after he graduated, in 2011, he was the hub and heart of a burgeoning downtown culture. Bright, tender, filled with ideas and experimentation — a rare artist with charisma, talent, and the ability to build community."

She reminisced about Smith's iconic works and said:

"His Rain paintings—made with a fire extinguisher standing in for a rain machine, Lucien himself directing the spray—are now iconic. He made a batch in my backyard. As well, his Pie paintings, his Seeds, his Ark paintings and Scrap Metal. His most recent masterpiece was FOOD—together we worked with Max Lamb to build his banquets. We are deeply saddened, and will miss him terribly.”

The likes of Joel Mesler and Tripoli Patterson also expressed their sadness at Smith's death.

The late artist had, notably, stepped away from commercial art for a while and founded a non-profit organization named Serving the People. However, he returned in 2020 and has had multiple individual exhibitions.

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