Since the pandemic, Smith has emerged transformed as a new public persona. On Instagram, his presence suggests that he is an art-world ambassador, and on YouTube, he hosts an ongoing lo-fi series called Studio News, in which he discusses his artistic pursuits and sometimes nothing at all. It is ‘straight man’ comedy, sprinkled with revelations about his inner life, all mixed up. It is the kind of unblinking deadpan that often looks back at you from Smith’s paintings: a sincere satire.