via: simpson
Notes:
Lorna Simpson’s Ice series presents a poignant exploration of identity, memory, and cultural symbolism through her masterful juxtaposition of photographic imagery and painterly abstraction. This body of work, characterized by fragmented portraits of Black women overlaid with layers of ink washes, textures, and resin, creates a sense of duality—melding past and present, visibility and obscurity. The icy blues and muted grays that dominate the series evoke a feeling of distance and fragility, echoing the emotional complexities of personal and collective histories. Simpson’s use of collage further amplifies the tension between wholeness and fragmentation, suggesting the ways identity can be shaped and reshaped over time.
One of the most striking aspects of the Ice series is its interplay between photographic realism and abstraction, which challenges viewers to question the narratives surrounding race and femininity. By obscuring the faces of her subjects with layered materials, Simpson disrupts the gaze, forcing audiences to confront their assumptions about representation and identity. The resin-like surface often creates a frozen quality, suggesting preservation but also entrapment, while the recurring motifs of hair and beauty connect the work to larger cultural dialogues about gender, desire, and power. Simpson’s decision to leave certain elements unfinished or partially veiled mirrors the incompleteness of memory and the impossibility of fully capturing personal histories in visual form.
Simpson’s Ice series ultimately functions as a meditation on the fluidity and complexity of identity, particularly for Black women navigating cultural expectations and historical erasure. The cold palette and layered surfaces convey emotional depth and psychological tension, while the integration of photographic and painterly techniques emphasizes transformation and hybridity. Through this series, Simpson invites viewers to reflect on how identity is constructed, fragmented, and preserved, urging a deeper consideration of the forces that shape our perceptions of race, gender, and selfhood. The Ice series stands as a testament to Simpson’s ability to merge conceptual rigor with visual poetry, making it a powerful contribution to contemporary art.
- RJG