In her latest exhibition, Earth & Sky, artist Lorna Simpson embarks on a compelling journey into the hidden forces—cosmic, social, and generational—that shape our human experience. Opening at Hauser & Wirth, New York, from November 2, 2024, through January 11, 2025, the exhibition invites viewers to delve into the complexities of identity, history, and existence.Simpson’s work fuses the tangible with the metaphysical. It invites the audience to reflect on these profound themes.
Earth & Sky showcases a compelling collection that includes expansive paintings and a striking text-based sculpture. This artwork intertwines reflections on the natural world with contemplations on human conflict. Drawing inspiration from the 1929 textbook Minerals from Earth and Sky, Simpson crafts grand canvases that create a sweeping narrative, connecting the marvels of the universe to instances of human strife. Through her use of silvery greys and inky blacks, her paintings evoke both the grandeur of geological landscapes and the darker imagery of man-made destruction.
As a result of its near-sacred atmosphere, Simpson’s work is amplified by the gallery itself. In her works, she juxtaposes natural textures like rock formations with patterns that suggest bullet holes silkscreened on canvas in star-shaped constellations that suggest bullet holes. With these “stars,” viewers enter a space where beauty and brutality intersect, evoking both the allure and danger inherent in violent forms. Each layer encourages contemplation of the hidden meanings that lie just beneath the surface.
