FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact:
Samantha Simpson
Artist
Web:
samanthasimpson.com
Stan Klein
Director of Firecat
Projects
Phone: (773)
342-5381
Email: vitodklein@aol.com
FIRECAT PROJECTS presents
More Than I Had To Say: New Paintings
by Samantha Simpson
Opening Reception
on Friday, August 3rd, 7-10 pm
Exhibit runs through August 24th
CHICAGO- July 2,
2012 Samantha Simpson’s More Than I Had
To Say at Firecat Projects is a show that won’t shut up.
Simpson makes work
on paper that includes otters attacking swans, talking turtles, singing
flowers, and several egotistical cockroaches that one suspects are self
portraits. This could suggest that the work is for children, but it is not- to
say the work is layered is an understatement. The paintings function like
visual poetry or, or large scale panels from a graphic novel. There is a loose,
complex story that flows around the gallery walls, and each piece builds upon
the last.
One can read
Simpson’s pieces like paintings, drawings or poems. Each piece starts as a
drawing, done with ink pens and magic makers, and ends with dense archival watercolor paint that
leaves much of the original drawing uncovered. The imagery in several of the
pieces centers around a battle between a swan and an otter. Text flows over and
around the images. The central characters battle and embrace amidst an
atmosphere of commentary by other creatures. Flowers sing sad odes to fallen
heroes, and turtles grasp for sentimental meaning in the skull of an old sea
turtle under the water.
The four largest
pieces in the show deal with the artists’ questions about aesthetics. The swan
and otter champion different approaches to art. The swan is portrayed as a chaotic force, one that
represents aesthetic pleasure that is embodied, as in representational or
figurative art. As such, it is suspect, cheap, and sleazy- the swan in these
pieces is a bit of a floozy. The otter, who craves the new, the pure, and the
disembodied mind in his art, seeks to democratize aesthetics by turning the
swan into something more easily shared and controlled. It’s not clear who wins
the battle, but various scenarios are suggested.
Samantha Simpson is
an artist who lives and works in Philadelphia. Her work has been exhibited
nationally and internationally and can be seen on her website, samanthasimpson.com. This is her first show in Chicago. She
will be attending the opening reception on Friday August 3rd and is
more than happy to answer questions by phone or email.
Beer and wine for
the reception graciously provided by Three Floyds and Red and White Wines,
respectively. All events are free of charge and open to the public.
Samantha Simpson,
Episode, Ink and watercolor, 30”x44”,2012
WHEN: Opening Reception: Friday, August 3rd, 7-10 pm
Exhibition: Through
August 24th,
Regular Hours:
Monday-Saturday 10am-4pm or by appointment
WHERE: Firecat Projects2124 N. Damen Avenue, Chicago IL 60647
Located in
Chicago’s Bucktown neighborhood
ABOUT FIRECAT PROJECTS:
In 2010, artist
Tony Fitzpatrick converted his longtime studio into a new kind of gallery
featuring a fantastic line-up of artists from all around the country and
Chicago. Run by Fitzpatrick’s business partner Stan Klein, Firecat Projects
empowers artists to take charge of their careers by taking no commission on
sales, and as such, has to be creative in generating funds. The production of
plays as well as the sal of books, posters and t-shirts are just some of the
ways they are able to support exhibiting artists.
MORE IMAGES of artwork in the show can be seen at :
http://www.samanthasimpson.com/artwork.html
Web ready graphics
are available for journalistic use only on the website here.
Click here for high resolution
images.
CONTACT Samantha Simpson at sam@samanthasimpson.com
Samantha Simpson,
Fight/Flight, Ink and watercolor, 30”x44” 2011
Samantha Simpson,
Episode(detail), Ink and watercolor, 2012
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FOR
IMMEDIATE RELEASE