One of the best-known American sculptors of the modern period, David Smith (1906–1965) was a pioneer of abstract sculpture. He revolutionised the possibilities of metal sculpture by introducing the industrial process of welding, enabling him to create the most extraordinarily balanced compositions – using metal to ‘draw in space’.

Smith took abstract sculpture - previously a figurative medium - to new heights by creating layered planes and richly burnished or painted surfaces. A reclusive figure, Smith established his studio and foundry in rural Bolton Landing in the Adirondack Mountains in upstate New York, filling the surrounding fields with his monumental sculptures. Although he is predominantly known as a sculptor, this book also
sheds valuable light on Smith's prolific output of drawing, sketching,
writing and photography.

Joan Pachner, a David Smith scholar since the 1980s, has published and lectured widely on the artist’s work. 

Phaidon's Focus books are introductory monographs and extended primers, in a handsome hardback format. They provide an in-depth overview of an artist's life, plus a more concentrated focus on key works from the artist's career to date.