Lorna Simpson

One of my favorite quotes from the NY times article on Lorna Simpson was this: "When Ms. Simpson first showed these cityscapes, some people said she had abandoned political art for entertainment, an accusation that points to one of multiculturalism’s major downsides, the Otherness syndrome: if you’re black, you’re supposed to make recognizably black art." Simpson obviously made art that was suppose to make her audiences question the society they live in, and if it has made any progress in eradicating racism, but her pieces aren't in-your-face bold. The compilation of unobtrusive elements-the black and white color format, the simple arrangement of the photos and text, the actual simple aesthetic of the repeating photo of a woman with her back turned- all combine to make you want to look further (literally and metaphorically). Why does she have her back turned? Why is the text asking about her physical appearance or character as if she couldn't be all those things at once? Also- the question of if she is "black as coal".. is that referring to her skin color, or the word "black" used as a negative adjective, like the song "Your Heart is as Black as Night." Her photos, much like this one, leave you wondering long after you've seen them.