©2006 Theresa Bertocci

Diane Simpson Born in Joliet, IL, 1935 Education: School of the Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago, IL, MFA, 1978 School of the Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago, IL, BA, 1971 Lives in Chicago, IL Diane Simpson’s sculptures reinterpret iconic women’s garments through the vocabulary of  architecture and craft. Inspired by sources as diverse as Japanese kimonos and seventeenth-century European bodice and sleeve designs, she begins each work with elaborate isometric drawings of structure and pattern that display her fascination with the fluid exchange between  two-dimensional design and three-dimensional space. Combining industrial and domestic materials in unconventional ways, she redefines the relationships between function and adornment, masculine and feminine. upcoming exhibitions The Drawing Show, Beverly Arts Center, Chicago, IL, group show, July 18-August 17, 2008 Diane Simpson: cover-ups, Alfedena Gallery, solo show, September 5 - October 11, 2008 Opening Reception: Friday, Sept. 5th, 5-8pm Begin Again Right Back Here, White Columns, NY, group show curated by B. Wurtz, September - October 2008

Vest 2006, wood (MDF), canvas, fabric, paint, cord, aluminum rod, waxed linen thread, 53" x 31" x 7"

Vest (red/grey) 2008, (two views) wood (MDF), enamel, canvas, 41" x 28" x 5"

Tunic 2007, (two views), Gatorboard, fabric, ink, 44" x 31" x 7"

Bib (deco) 2007, enamel, perforated aluminum, industrial fiber, 41" x 36" x 6" $5,500

Bib (white) 2006, Buckram, painted aluminum, found trunk hanger, found embroidery hoop, 30" x 23" x 8"

Drawing for Bib (white) 2005, pencil and colored pencil on vellum graph paper (unframed)
Pattern for Bib (white) 2005, pencil and colored pencil on vellum graph paper, 45" x 29" (mounted, unframed)

Drawing for Bib (quilted) 2006, pencil on vellum graph paper, 29" x 20" (unframed)
Bib (quilted) 2006, vinyl, felt, aluminum, thread, 49" x 24" x 6"

Drawing for Bib (dots) 2006, pencil and colored pencil on vellum graph paper, 28" x 22" (unframed)
Bib (dots) on shelf 2006, industrial fiber, polyester fabric, aluminum armature, stained wood, 53" x 32" x 16" $6,000 (includes shelf)

Work Belt 2005, Birch plywood, corregated plastic, electrical cord, 36" x 25" x 6.5"

Diane Simpson: Window Dressing, August 5, 2007 - July 27, 2008, Racine Art Museum, Racine WI, photography: Michael Tropea

Diane Simpson: Window Dressing, August 5, 2007 - July 27, 2008, Racine Art Museum, Racine WI, photography: Michael Tropea

Diane Simpson: Sculpture + Drawings, 2006, (five installation views), Herron School of Art and Design

Apron X ©2005, (full view and detail) aluminum, leather, 73" x 36" x 8.5"

Apron IV ©2002, painted aluminum, plastic mesh, spunbond polyester, 68" x 19" x 12.5"

Apron II ©2000, stain on MDF, spunbond polyster, faux fur, 63" x 12" x 9"

Apron V ©2002, painted aluminum and linen, plastic mesh, 69" x 20" x 11.5"