Diane Simpson’s Window Dressing at New York University

Jan. 12, 2014

NEW YORK – On January 26th in New York University’s galleries at 55 E. 10th Street, artist Diane Simpson will unveil Window Dressing, previously exhibited at the Racine Art Museum in Wisconsin.

“Window Dressing” will be on view at New York University, 55 E. 10th Street from January 26 – March 12, 2014.

Statement from the artist: This project was commissioned by the Racine Art Museum, Racine, Wisconsin, for their six street level windows. It was installed in August 2007 and continued until July 2008, with some alterations midway in order to give variety to the year- long exhibit. Reflecting one of the museum’s former incarnations as a department store, and paying homage to the “window dressers” of the 20’s and 30’s, “Window Dressing” juxtaposed individual sculptures with backgrounds that evoked designs of merchandise display windows of the 1920’s Deco period. My concept evolved as I discovered period manuals and trade journals published for window designers of the period, Art Deco tile designs in a New York subway, and a source for vintage wallpaper and linoleum. This project offered me the challenge and opportunity of working on a larger scale, discovering new materials, and incorporating the geometric patterns and streamlined curves of the Deco period. Most important for me was the seamless integration of each background with a particular sculpture.

VIDEO:

Window Dressing from Ines Sommer on Vimeo.