'Speaking of Art': Travis Smith

Travis Smith is an illustrator and painter in Atlanta who makes “weird art,” or as he describes it, something in between pop art and outsider art.

His preferred mediums are acrylics and pen and ink, and the images frequently feature charming and odd characters like robots, slime creatures, and animals. At other times Smith creates vibrant, psychedelic patterned designs which spill outward like radial sea stars or flowers on a canvas. But Smith’s signature robots might be his most recognizable motif, as they’ve shown up on murals and stickers adorning Atlanta for many years.

A self-taught artist, Travis Smith, has been drawing since he was a kid. In his twenties, he found community in the professional arts scene showing work at independent local galleries like Beep Beep, Youngblood, and MINT. Like so many local artists, especially muralists, Smith takes inspiration from walks around Atlanta’s Reynoldstown and Cabbagetown neighborhoods with their abundantly decorated walls and street art phenomena. He also cites Homegrown artists’ markets for their gatherings of the work of local artists and crafters. His latest mural, which proclaims “Be More Courageous,” can currently be spotted on Carroll Street in Cabbagetown.

Smith’s work is available on his Instagram account, @13_robots, or you can find him creating at one of the frequent “Drink and Doodle” events at ABV Gallery.