Diane Simpson

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Diane Simpson

Valance and Peplum

2017

Paint on LDF and wood, vintage, ceiling tin, galvanized steel, screws

89 x 96 x 5 3/4 inches

Diane Simpson

Lambrequin and Peplum

2017

Painted LDF, crayon on spunbond polyester, copper tacks

109 x 50 x 31 inches

Diane Simpson

Peplum VI
2016
LDF, screws, enamel, spunbond polyester, crayon, plywood, and oil stain
63 x 57 x 21 inches

Diane Simpson

Drawing for Peplum VI
2016
graphite on two sheets of vellum graph paper
32 x 24 inches

Installation view, Chicago Works: Diane Simpson

MCA Chicago
February 16 – July 3, 2016
Photo: Nathan Keay, © MCA Chicago

Installation view, Diane Simpson

Institute of Contemporary Art, Boston
December 16, 2015 - March 27, 2016

Diane Simpson

Peplum VII

2016

LDF, enamel, canvas, colored pencils, crayon, Velcro, aluminum grid and screws

50 x 32 x 22 inches

Diane Simpson

Peplum V

2016

LDF, linoleum, plywood, wood veneer, canvas, acrylic, and enamel

67 x 36 x 12 inches

Diane Simpson

Peplum IV

2015

aluminum, galvanized steel, rivets, enamel

48 x 29 x 18 inches

Diane Simpson

Peplum II

2014

high density foamboard, enamel, linen canvas, colored pencil, paint marker, aluminum

56 x 18 x 18 inches

Diane Simpson

Peplum I
2014
fiberboard, enamel, copper, plywood
47 1/2 x 29 1/2 x 17 inches

Diane Simpson

Peplum III
2014
high density foamboard, enamel, linen canvas, colored pencil, paint marker, aluminum
56 x 18 x 18 inches

Diane Simpson

Collar (connect the dots)
2012
MDF, linen canvas, enamel, ink, and basswood
48 1/2 x 28 x 13 1/2 inches

Diane Simpson

Yoke
2012
MDF, enamel, oil stain, crayon, and aluminum
64 x 20 x 16 inches

Diane Simpson

Tunic (folded)
2012
Gatorfoam board, spunbond polyester, and crayon
34 x 72 x 36 inches

Diane Simpson

Collar / Bib (sections)

2012

Light density fiberboard (LDF), enamel, linen canvas, crayon, and colored pencil

25 x 32 x 9 inches

Diane Simpson

Cuffs

2012

Wooden plant stand, enamel, MDF, and embossed paper

48 1/2 x 18 1/2 x 12 inches

Diane Simpson

Study for Tunic (folded)
2012
MDF, colored pencil, ink, archival cardboard, and enamel
40 x 38 x 3 inches

Diane Simpson

Collar (fluted)
2011
archival cardboard and crayon
24 x 23 1/2 x 8 1/2 inches

Diane Simpson

Neckline (extended)
2011

Light density fiberboard (LDF),

aluminum, enamel, and colored pencil

85 x 50 x 14 inches

Diane Simpson

Cape (SL)
2011
Gatorfoam board, spunbond polyester, and crayon
17 x 50 x 11 1/2 inches

Installation view
Diane Simpson: Sculpture + Drawings 1978-2009

Chicago Cultural Center, Chicago, Illinois
2010

Diane Simpson

Cape (buttressed)

2011

MDF, oil stain, acrylic paint, and colored pencil

27 x 24 1/2 x 7 inches (sculpture);

18 1/2 x 36 1/2 x 15 inches (base)

Diane Simpson

Vest (scalloped)
2010
copper, linoleum, steel base, wood, and enamel
56 x 22 x 14 inches

Diane Simpson

Collar (on altered table)
2010
wood table, MDF, and enamel
34 x 25 x 12 inches

Diane Simpson

Drawing for Collar (on altered table)
2010
graphite on two sheets of vellum graph paper with collage
21 1/2 x 24 inches

Diane Simpson

Found Collar
2009
cotton collar, light density fiberboard (LDF), Gatorfoam board, and enamel
15 x 24 x 8 inches

Diane Simpson

Vest - red/gray
2008
light density fiberboard (LDF), canvas, and enamel
41 x 28 x 5 inches

Diane Simpson

Tunic
2007
Gatorboard, fabric, and ink
44 x 31 x 7 inches

Diane Simpson

Bib (white)
2006
cotton mesh, painted aluminum,found trunk hanger, found embroidery hoop
30 x 23 x 8 inches

Diane Simpson

Bib - dots
2006
fabric, spundbond polyester, and stained wood
53 x 32 x 16 inches (including shelf)

Diane Simpson

Drawing for Bib (dots)
2006
pencil and colored pencil on vellum graph paper
28 x 22 inches

Diane Simpson

Drawing for Apron X
2005
Graphite on vellum graph paper
23 1/2 x 33 inches

Diane Simpson

Formal Wear
1998
spunbond polyester, poplar, and cotton webbing
47 x 50 x 7 inches (webbing length variable)

Diane Simpson

Muff
1998
faux fur, fleece, and mahogany
49 x 28 x 13 inches

Diane Simpson

X Bonnet
1993
copper tube, cotton upholstery webbing, waxed thread
23 x 19 x 12 inches

Diane Simpson

Turban (model)
1993
wood, spunbound polyester, linen canvas, and crayon
15 x 9 1/2 x 6 inches

Diane Simpson

Mesh Bonnet
1992
pine, cotton mesh, waxed linen thread
43 x 20 x 16 inches

Diane Simpson

Amish Bonnet
1992
brass tube, waxed linen thread, fabric, and enamel on wood
66 x 43 1/2 x 21 1/2 inches (including shelf)

Diane Simpson

Drawing for Amish Bonnet #1
1991
graphite on vellum graph paper
17 x 22 inches

Diane Simpson

Robe
1986
oil stain and colored pencil on MDF
80 x 86 x 42 inches

Installation view

Phyllis Kind Gallery
1983

Diane Simpson, Samurai 1, 1981, Collagraph intaglio print on paper; paired with paper, rag board, printing ink, and acrylic paint construction; in two parts, 33 x 48 1/4 inches (print); 27 x 20 x 9 inches (sculpture)

BIO

b. 1935

Lives and works in Chicago, Illinois.

Diane Simpson, born 1935, is a Chicago-based artist who for the past forty years has created sculptures and preparatory drawings that evolve from a diverse range of sources, including clothing, utilitarian objects, and architecture. The structures of clothing forms has continuously informed her work, serving as a vehicle for exploring their visually formal qualities, while also revealing their connections to the design and architecture of various cultures and periods in history. Her wide selection of materials (wood, perforated metals, linoleum, fabrics) reflect her interest in the coexistence of the industrial/architectonic and domestic worlds. She has exhibited widely in the US and abroad; most recently in the 2019 Whitney Biennial as well as solo exhibitions in 2020 at Nottingham Contemporary, in the UK and Wesleyan University. In 2010, a thirty-year retrospective was held at the Chicago Cultural Center, and she has had solo exhibitions at the Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago, and the Institute of Contemporary Art, Boston. In 2019 Simpson was one of the ten recipients of the "Anonymous Was a Woman" award. Her work is in the permanent collections of the Whitney Museum of American Art, NY; Art Institute of Chicago; Institute of Contemporary Art, Boston; Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago; Hessel Museum of Art, Annandale-on-Hudson, New York; Illinois State Museum, Springfield, IL; Perez Museum, Miami, FL; and the Kadist Art Foundation, San Francisco and Paris, FR.  She received a BFA in 1971 and an MFA in 1978 from the Art Institute of Chicago. Simpson is represented by Corbett vs Dempsey, Chicago; JTT, NY; and Herald St, London. 

VIDEO:

Window Dressing from Ines Sommer on Vimeo.

Curriculum Vitae

PDF - Diane Simpson CV

Selected Press

Exhibitions

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