Lorna Simpson Response - PK

Lorna Simpson appears as a complicated individual and artist. As an African American she focuses on the issues of race, sex and class, but does so in a very simple, yet powerful way. She decided to create her work in a studio, instead of taking shots of real life happening. To that, she adds words; not just any words however, they’re phrases from the news sources that somehow associate with the image. The models she used were African American males and females, all with their backs to the viewer. It’s striking that she would chose to have them face away, taking away their individual identities, but strengthening the group identity in some way.

The short clip of “Easy to Remember” was tremendous. I wasn’t aware right away that it was those people humming; I thought they were just moving, but it makes sense. And again she takes away their identities, showing just a part of their face, just the lips. It’s interesting that she would do that, I’m not sure I understand it, but I find it fascinating.

I like Michelle Leigh’s comparison of New York to the Mayan ruins. New York being desolate is not something we are used to seeing, and Simpson showing that has a sort of eerie feeling to it.

I find it curious that she does not use any violence portrayal, yet you get a feeling that her work comes from a sense of violence, or leads the viewer to think of it. Her pictures and words she uses give a sense of strong emotion and an understanding of preexisting violence in the pieces without outright showing it.

The image is “Flipside” by Simpson. The image scared me when I first saw it, I didn’t know what I was looking at, and it literally made my heart pound a little faster. It is an image of a woman and an African mask, both seen from behind. The mask being there has a very powerful effect on how we portray the woman, and possibly her origins, comparing her to a member of an African tribe.