This summer in Montauk, New York, the late artist Lucien Smith revisited a technique that had defined his early career by creating a series of large-scale paintings using a modified air compressor to spray thinned acrylic paint onto canvases. The process, an evolution of his signature “Rain Paintings” first developed in his early 20s, involved spraying paint in a soft arc, producing speckled surfaces in vibrant colors. These four substantial works, measuring 90 by 120 inches each and coated in shades like bubble-gum pink and acid lime, became Smith’s final creations before his death on September 7 at age 37—just days before their public unveiling.

The paintings debuted on Sunday at Tripoli Gallery in Wainscott, New York, close to Montauk, where Smith had lived since 2015. The exhibition, titled “Delay of Game,” alludes to the often brief rain delays in baseball but also reflects the extended, nearly 15-year hiatus Smith took after his initial burst of success with the “Rain Paintings.” This gap marked a withdrawal fueled in part by disillusionment with the art world and critical backlash.

Emerging in 2011 shortly after his graduation from Cooper Union, Smith gained attention for filling fire extinguishers with diluted paint to create atmospheric, abstract works that blended elements of midcentury gestural painting with a contemporary sensibility. Critics often referred to his style as “zombie formalism,” a term used to describe process-focused abstraction perceived as lacking genuine innovation. While some dismissed Smith’s early work as calculated or hollow, the artist acknowledged his ambition and saw his work as part of an evolving continuum influenced by figures such as Jackson Pollock, Hans Hartung, and Julian Schnabel.

Born in California but shaped by the cultural currents of New York’s downtown scene, Smith moved fluidly through various techniques and references throughout his career. Beyond the rain-inspired canvases, he experimented with throwing paint-laden pins, airbrushing blurred celebrity portraits, and producing sculptural paintings incorporating everyday urban detritus. His art intertwined a broad historical awareness with a youthful energy linked to graffiti culture and street aesthetics.

Smith’s association with younger generations of downtown artists connected him to legacies of rebellious and self-destructive art practices. He worked as a studio assistant to Dan Colen, a key figure in the early 2000s New York art scene alongside Dash Snow, where graffiti and vandalism influenced a raw, unvarnished approach to making art. Yet Smith’s work diverged from the chaotic intensity of some peers, embracing material experimentation and a detachment from single stylistic categories.

The “Rain Paintings” stood out for their embrace of chance and accident, sidestepping the ego-driven narratives often found in Abstract Expressionism and later movements. Smith infused these works with a subtle tension, reflecting a calculated rejection of traditional artistic mastery even as they bore the marks of skill and intentionality. He occasionally assigned ironic or whimsical titles from romantic comedies to these pieces, perhaps revealing an undercurrent of humor in confronting personal pain.

“Delay of Game” presents each painting individually against the gallery walls, emphasizing both the visual lightness of the sprayed layers and the psychological weight behind their creation. The sweet, quirky titles—drawn from messages found inside Baci chocolates—offer a final nod to self-awareness and levity. The exhibition also highlights documented footage of Smith engaging in the painting process, underscoring the act’s performative and cathartic dimensions.

Although the new works may not revolutionize abstract painting, their production and exhibition after a long period of withdrawal stand as a reflective gesture of renewal. In revisiting his initial artistic impulse, Smith appeared to confront and transcend past frustrations, delivering a quiet but meaningful coda to his brief, restless career.