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There was an uncomplicated beauty in the geometric paintings of Tom Schmitt. Since the early 1960s, Schmitt created abstract paintings that rivaled those of his more well-known international contemporaries, but he did so away from the spotlight. This is why Bridge Red Studios in North Miami, an artist-run exhibition space that highlights artists whose work had often fallen under the radar, decided to give Schmitt a solo exhibit focused on his early, ground-breaking work from the 1960s and 70s.

Maybe because 2018 turned out to be another chaotic year, the work of Tom Schmitt felt transcendent, offering an aesthetic space that reminded us of the best that we could achieve. Take, for example, the cover image 198, the acrylic on shaped canvas from 1967; in various light hues of blue, with a circle, squares, and one centrally positioned vertical line, it delivered a perfect figuration. It was similar to the exuberant bright yellow piece in the exhibition, 210, also from 1967, where Schmitt made the central circle protrude from the canvas. These works moved and reacted almost like what we hoped the universe did, ever changing in subtle ways but always in balance.

Although Schmitt had roots in the Midwest, he created most of his paintings in Miami, at a time when the city was still a relative backwater in terms of cultural activity, as there were few museums or galleries offering artists much exposure.

As vivid as these paintings were, Schmitt's almost sculptural works that resembled pillars or wooden planks were amazing studies in form and color. In very subtle gradations, one could ascertain changes in white and off-white, or in almost imperceptible lines of green or brown.

In the exhibit, there were some exquisite small pieces on paper, also very minimal, once again created with basic geometric patterns of lines, squares, and circles. These more intimate studies that echoed the larger works drew the eye immediately to the color schemes that Schmitt so expertly created.

In later decades, Schmitt utilized the computer as a tool to make ever more subtle investigations into color-saturated form. The evidence of this already mature search lay in this exhibition of his early works. It was a tribute to one of Miami's early masters.

— Anne Tschida