Arts
fromHyperallergic
2 days agoThe Year in Memes
A $117 Picasso raffle supports Alzheimer's research while new art books and exhibitions emphasize beauty, community care, and photography that rewards slow, imaginative looking.
You might already recognize the figures in Coreen Simpson's photographs. Yes, they are influential and famous: Winnie Mandela, Eartha Kitt, and Toni Morrison, to name a few. But some of her other images - her studio portraits and street candids - are familiar in a different way. Simpson's lens captures them with such intimacy that they might call to mind your neighbors, childhood pastor, or play cousins.
Coreen Simpson carved her own path to success she never waited for anyone to hand her an opportunity. In her 1978 portrait of Toni Morrison, the author gazes directly into the camera with a striking expression that holds the viewer's eyes fixed on hers. A shadow fills the space between Morrison and the world, compelling the audience to reckon with her presence.