Simpson post

Lorna Simpson’s work created more questions than answers for me, though I should not be surprised because that has been the case for many of the artists we have studied this quarter. By solely looking at her pieces, I was left puzzled. I could understand Simpson’s work was commenting with identity (race and gender), but I found it difficult pinpointing an exact meaning. The two articles helped me understand Simpson’s work from a viewer’s point.

Michele Leight interprets Simpson’s work as “not about victimization - that is firmly left behind in the dust. [Simpson’s] modern imagery is about taking back the power, and carving a new African-American niche, or female niche, however the viewer chooses.” I thought it was interesting that Simpson chooses not to victimize her race; rather, use her historical truths to empower her artwork. This is important to note when comparing it to the pieces of Ligon, who uses race to make a historical commentary. Though race is the center of both Simpson and Ligon’s art, it is mesmerizing how they use it in such different ways.

I found Simpson’s “Easy to Remember” haunting, but was left wondering what the meaning behind the video footage was. I believe it may be a comment on race. Is everyone in the video black? Though it is evident some of the people are, you cannot really tell if all of them are based solely on their lips. The video makes me question how big of an effect does someone’s skin color have on their identity?

I chose one of Simpson’s more recent works because I was intrigued by the juxtaposition of the houses. The Corridor series uses two images, side by side, to comment on identity.