A Life Painted Across Landscapes and Abstraction Hassel Smith, a name perhaps less immediately recognizable than some of his Abstract Expressionist contemporaries, nevertheless occupies a pivotal position in the narrative of West Coast art. Born in 1915 in Sturgis, Michigan, his life was one of constant relocation during his formative years, dictated by his mother’s health. These early movements – between Michigan and the burgeoning artistic landscapes of the California coast – instilled within him a sense of displacement that perhaps fueled a lifelong exploration of place and identity throu…