David Smith

David Smith was born in Decatur, Indiana on March 9, 1906, and studied painting and drawing at the Art Students League in New York. Although he is best known for his abstract metal sculpture, he received little or no formal training as a sculptor. In the 1930s, he produced work for the Works Progress Administration Federal Arts Project in New York. Resulting in part from his interest in modern European sculpture, Smith began producing welded metal sculptures, often incorporating color into his compositions. His work was critically acclaimed during his lifetime, but not commercially successful. He died in a car accident near Bennington, Vermont on May 23, 1965.

(Source: Grove Dictionary of Art Online)