Lorna Simpson is an American artist cum photographer born August 13, 1960. With her notable works including photo collages, films, and photo-text installations, Simpson is a versatile professional skilled in photography, drawing, and painting. She is most widely acclaimed for her impactful works in the aspect of conceptual photography. Some of the artworks that brought her into the limelight include Square Deal and Guarded Conditions.

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Family and Early Life

Lorna Simpson was born into a family of mixed parents comprising an African-American mother and a Jamaican-Cuban father. Simpson’s parents relocated from the Midwest to New York where Lorna was eventually brought up. While growing up with her parents in Brooklyn, New York, Simpson was generously exposed to a sort of artistic lifestyle. On many occasions, she accompanied her parents to concerts, plays, dance shows and museums.

Academic Background

Lorna Simpson is a well-reputed photographer and artist with a BFA (Bachelor of Fine Arts) and an MFA (Master of Fine Arts). She earned her BFA in Painting from New York City’s School of Visual Arts in 1982 while the MFA in visual arts was awarded to her in 1985 by the University of California.

It’s noteworthy that Simpson has embarked on adventurous travels to Africa, the US and Europe. It was in the course of these travels that she felt the need to nurture her skills beyond the purview of photography. She thereupon spread her tentacles to the field of graphic design.

During her education at San Diego’s University of California, Simpson dangled between conceptual art and photography. Meanwhile, her teachers at this university seemed to be experts from differing fields including film making, poetry, performance art and conceptual art. Some of Simpson’s teachers at University of California were namely Eleanor Antin (a performance artist), David Antin (a poet), Babatte Mangolte (a filmmaker) and Allan Kaprow (a conceptual artist).

By courtesy of the diverse knowledge she had gained, Simpson was able to bring a new dimension into documentary photography. This was reflected in her distinct “photo-text” style which combines studio-like portraiture and graphic text. Simpson’s works, in this regard, excellently demonstrate her critical analysis of race or gender-related stereotypes involving African-American women.

Marital Life

Lorna Simpson was in a marriage to James Casebere (an artist) between 2007 and 2018. The union between the two artists (Simpson and Casebere) yielded a child named Zora Casebere.

Zora, daughter of Lorna Simpson, is an Instagram personality cum artist.

Personal Life/View

Lorna Simpson is a resident of Brooklyn, New York. Through detailed analysis of Simpson’s artistic works, it is very palpable that she (Simpson) holds a strong view against sexism and racism with special regard to the stereotypes emanating from these two themes. For instance, her 2019 series titled “Special Character” reveals how she confronted race and gender-related stereotypes by use of photographic collages.

Career and Works

Lorna Simpson has had a tremendous career as a photographer cum artist. Known for their strong objection to racism and sexism, many of Simpson’s works have been widely featured and exhibited. From the 1980s through the 1990s, Simpson’s works uniquely depict African-American women.

Simpson’s sort of artistic work is believed to have been largely inspired by writers and artists. While the artists include Felix-Gonzalex Torres, Adrian Piper and David Hammons, the writers are notably Alice Walker, Ishmael Reed, Toni Morrison, Ntozake Shange, and Langston Hughes.

By and large, Simpson’s works are admired for the powerful manner in which they differ from the conventional conceptions about such controversial themes as race, sex, culture, and identity. Since she came into the limelight in the 1980s, Simpson has extensively explored the diverse identities, especially with a stronger focus on the black female identity within the American identity.

While Simpson has churned out a good deal of artwork, some of her notable works are listed as follows:

Gestures/Reenactments –an artwork produced in 1985 and comprising six photographs of a black man
Stereo Styles –an artwork produced in 1988 and comprising 10 instant film pictures
Counting –a 1991 artwork combining screenprint and photogravure
Wigs –a 1994 artwork in form of portfolio of 21 lithographs
Back –a 1991 artwork comprising three plastic plaques and two color Polaroids
The Waterbearer –a 1996 artwork in form of silver print
Five Day Forecast –a 1991 artwork comprising five photographs, 15 engraved plaques and gelatin silver print
III –a 1994 artwork seen as a wooden box with three wishbones made of bronze, rubber and ceramic

Awards, Honors and/or Recognition

Workspace Grant, Jamaica Arts Centre (1987)
Louis Comfort Tiffany Award (1990) –organized by the Louis Comfort Tiffany Foundation, New York
National Endowment for the Arts Fellowship, United States (1985)
Artist Award for a Distinguished Body of Work (1994) –an award organized by New York’s College Art Association
Finalist of 1998 Hugo Boss Prize –organized by New York’s Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation
Artist-in-Residence Grant (1997) –at Wexner Centre for the Arts
Whitney Museum of American Art Award (2001) –an award sponsored by New York’s Cartier Foundation for Contemporary Art
400;”>Shortlisted Candidate for 2014 Deutsche Borse Photography Prize
Co-winner of 2019 J. Paul Getty Medal
School of the Museum of Fine Arts at Tufts’ (SMFA) Medal Award (2018)
Distinguished Artist-In-Residence (2003), Christian A. Johnson Foundation –at Hamilton-based Colgate University in New York

Conclusion

We’re pretty sure that you’ve learnt everything you were willing to know about Lorna Simpson. If you however have a question to ask about the notable American photographer cum artist, you’re free to leave us a question in the comment section below.