Daily Dose Pick: Lorna Simpson

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Exploring issues of racial and gender identity, Lorna Simpson blurs the boundaries between fact and fiction in her poignant photographic and video installations.

Mining eBay and flea markets for vernacular photos of African Americans from the era of segregation, Simpson recontextualizes the imagery to coax new meaning from lost memories. Photo-booth pictures get paired with the artist’s wistful drawings, while alluring, pin-up-like snapshots are re-created with Simpson simulating the unknown subjects’ playful poses.

Visit Lorna Simpson’s website, view her gallery page, watch an excerpt from her Easy to Remember video, and catch her current show at the Brooklyn Museum.

Click through below for a gallery of images by the artist.

Lorna Simpson, 1957–2009 Interiors (detail), 2009. Gelatin silver prints. 5 1/2 x 5 1/2 inches each (14 x 14 cm), overall dimensions variable. © Lorna Simpson, 2009, Rennie Collection, Courtesy of the artist and Salon 94, New York

Lorna Simpson, 1957–2009 Interiors (detail), 2009. Gelatin silver prints. 5 1/2 x 5 1/2 inches each (14 x 14 cm), overall dimensions variable. © Lorna Simpson, 2009, Rennie Collection, Courtesy of the artist and Salon 94, New York

Lorna Simpson, 1957–2009 Interiors (detail), 2009. Gelatin silver prints, 5 1/2 x 5 1/2 inches each (14 x 14 cm), overall dimensions variable. © Lorna Simpson, 2009, Rennie Collection, Courtesy of the artist and Salon 94, New York

Lorna Simpson, 1957–2009 Interiors (detail), 2009. Gelatin silver prints, 5 1/2 x 5 1/2 inches each (14 x 14 cm), overall dimensions variable. © Lorna Simpson, 2009, Rennie Collection, Courtesy of the artist and Salon 94, New York

Lorna Simpson, 1957–2009 Interiors (detail), 2009. Gelatin silver print, 5 1/2 x 5 1/2 inches each (14 x 14 cm), overall dimensions variable. © Lorna Simpson, 2009, Rennie Collection, Courtesy of the artist and Salon 94, New York

Lorna Simpson, Please remind me of who I am, 2009. 50 found photo-booth portraits, 50 ink drawings on paper, bronze frames. 2 x 1.5 inches each (5.1 x 3.8 cm), overall dimensions variable. © Lorna Simpson, 2009, Collection of Isabelle and Charles Berkovic, Brussels

Lorna Simpson, Actress 1A, 2007, 8 1/2 x 11 inches, graphite, ink, and watercolor on paper. © Lorna Simpson, 2009, Courtesy of the artist and Salon 94, New York

Lorna Simpson, Corridor (Day II), 2003, 27 x 72 inches. © Lorna Simpson, 2009, Courtesy of the artist and Salon 94, New York

Lorna Simpson, Easy to Remember, 2001, Video installation, 16mm black-and-white film transferred to DVD. 2 minutes, 35 seconds, sound. © Lorna Simpson, 2009, Courtesy of the artist and Salon 94, New York

Lorna Simpson, Parts, 1998, Serigraph on 12 felt panels with 1 text panel, 259 x 254 cm. © Lorna Simpson, 2009, Courtesy of the artist and Salon 94, New York

Lorna Simpson, Wigs (portfolio), 1994. Waterless lithograph on felt, overall dimensions variable. © Lorna Simpson, 2009; Collection Walker Art Center, Courtesy of the artist and Salon 94, New York

Lorna Simpson, Waterbearer, 1986 , Gelatin silver print, vinyl lettering, Photograph 45 x 77 (framed), 55 x 77 inches overall. © Lorna Simpson, 2009, Courtesy of the artist and Salon 94, New York