Terry Smith

Biography

Terry Smith is Emeritus Professor of Art History, University of Sydney, and Andrew W. Mellon Emeritus Professor of Contemporary Art History and Theory, Department of the History of Art and Architecture, University of Pittsburgh. He is also Professor in the Division of Philosophy, Art and Critical Thought, European Graduate School, and Faculty at Large, Curatorial Program, School of Visual Arts, New York.

Smith’s publications include Iconomy: Towards a Political Economy of Images (Anthem Press, 2022), Curating the Complex & The Open Strike (Sternberg and MIT Press, 2021), Art to Come: Histories of Contemporary Art (Duke University Press, 2019), One and Five Ideas: On Conceptual Art and Conceptualism (Duke University Press, 2017), The Contemporary Composition (Sternberg Press, 2016), Talking Contemporary Curating (Independent Curators International, 2015), Thinking Contemporary Curating (Independent Curators International, 2012), Contemporary Art: World Currents (Laurence King and Pearson/Prentice-Hall, 2011), What is Contemporary Art? (University of Chicago Press, 2009), The Architecture of Aftermath (University of Chicago Press, 2006), Transformations in Australian Art (Craftsman House, 2002) and Making the Modern: Industry, Art and Design in America (University of Chicago Press, 1993).

A founding board member of the Museum of Contemporary Art Australia, he also served on the board of the Andy Warhol Museum, Pittsburgh. He is currently Board Member Emeritus of the Carnegie Museum of Art, Pittsburgh, and member of the Advisory Board of the Biennial Foundation, New York.

Smith is a Fellow of the Australian Academy of the Humanities. He received the Distinguished Teaching of Art History Award (2022) and the Frank Jewett Mather Award (2010), both from the College Art Association (CAA), New York. He was also named the Australia Council Visual Arts Laureate (2010).

Smith earned a BA from the University of Melbourne (1966) and an MA and PhD from the University of Sydney (1976 and 1986, respectively).

Born in 1944 in Geelong, Australia, he lives and works in Sydney.

SAF participation:
March Meeting 2023