Lorna Simpson

Lorna Simpson engages in an intriguing concept: Her subjects face away from the camera. The New York Times article sees this as making the person more vulnerable. However, I see it more as a stand against cultural norms because the viewer is unable to judge the photograph solely on appearance. It's as if the subject is saying, "Don't look at me." I agree with the article when it says that by not seeing the subject's face, the subject has more control. "Her thoughts and history are her own."

I like how she experiments with her photos; she doesn't stick to one particular style. Some of Simpson's work is very political with direct, in-your-face statements, while others stand and rely on their own exquisiteness. With her more recent works, it is interesting to see how she raises the question of how we view civilization. The 'Public Sex' pieces, for instance, offer a wide variety of interpretations since the scenes can be so different. Yet, they all embrace the issue of AIDS.

I was slightly confused by the Easy To Remember video so I did a bit of research. The song that is being hummed is about lost, love, and remembrance. The title of the piece is actually from a 1930s song with the same title. Every mouth is humming the same tune, yet they each have slight variances because they are all different people. I like how she incorporates a different art form, music, into her work. It adds another level of sense to the piece.

The picture I chose is Pete Turner's "Hot Lips." You find a lot of bright colors in his photography and a focus on Africa.