Untitled (Study for Cubi VII)

This intriguing work, "Untitled (Study for Cubi VII)", presents a fascinating challenge to our understanding of the artist, Willi Smith. While the artwork's listed year of 1963 predates Smith's documented career as a fashion designer (born 1948, he would have been only 15), it shares a title component with David Smith's iconic sculpture "Cubi VII" from the same year, which is also in the Art Institute of Chicago's collection. Willi Smith, renowned for democratizing fashion with his accessible and stylish WilliWear label, was a keen patron of the arts, collaborating with numerous artists throughout his career. He was known for his innovative approach, blending art, fashion, and film. This study, with its use of spray enamel, pastel, and oil paint, suggests an engagement with abstract forms and industrial materials, echoing the sculptural concerns of mid-20th-century art. It prompts us to consider whether this piece represents an early, perhaps unacknowledged, foray into fine art before his celebrated fashion career, or if the attribution or date requires further clarification. The vibrant black, blue, and ochre hues, combined with the dynamic interplay of spray enamel and pastel, create a sense of movement and depth, inviting closer inspection of its energetic composition.