(Perpetual life, Perpetual death)
John Simpson is an artist whose work has, for the last fifteen years, concerned itself with concepts of death and disintegration. His oil paintings and large scale installations have been informed by his study and understanding of the processes of creation and deterioration relevant to the cultures of impermanence in Tibetan Buddhism and Ancient Egyptology.
In UNWRAPPED, Simpson explores how other cultures address death and all
its attendant mystery. The exhibit includes Simpson’s new paintings which feature portraits of Egyptian mummies brought to life through electric color and careful attention to rendered detail in these visages of well-preserved, and in some instances poorly-preserved, human remains.
The ancient Egyptians prized the invocation of their names and images after
their deaths as a nod toward immortality. Simpson’s painted resurrections add a contemporary psychological relevance to the original lives of those now preserved in paint on canvas. In the words of the artist: "These works might bring a smile to the
most grimaced of their countenances."
Gallery Talk March 11 at 2 pm
