I first saw Diane Simpson’s work at Artemesia Gallery in 1979. It was a show of some large constructions for which she has since become famous. In 2019, the Whitney Biennial featured Simpson in a room to herself on the first floor of the museum. That exhibition included a spectacular, large, almost stage-set piece called Window Dressing: Background 4, Apron VI(2003–07). What stayed consistent over those 46 years is the source of her forms, in the artist’s words: “clothing structures, furniture, utilitarian objects and vernacular industrial architecture.”

        It was quite a surprise to see examples of her early works on paper presented as a one-person show at this year’s Expo Chicago. Corbett vs Dempsey used their entire booth space for Simpson’s work. These are pieces that are not often seen. They give us an insight into Simpson’s consistency over a nearly a half-century practice. (Simpson turned 90 on April 25, the day after Expo Chicago opened.)

        Simpson’s staying power can be attributed, in part, to her attitude toward feminism. The same year she was showing her large sculptures at Artemisia, Arc Gallery across the street was showing Judy Chicago’s The Dinner Party. Chicago’s approach was highly political and historically-focused, while Simpson, using a more abstract, contemporary approach, showed how a woman could easily infiltrate the male-dominated sculptural scene. Her pieces are most often based on the form of clothing, articulated by an architectonic structure. This makes her work less overtly political and allows for broader interpretation on the part of the viewer. Simpson was also influenced by Margaret Wharton, one of the founders of Artemisia and noted for her sculptures made from chairs. While never using the original object, Simpson’s deconstruction of it has similarities to what Wharton did to chairs.

        This exhibition’s early works on paper date from 1975 to 1981, mostly from ’75–’76. The most striking to a viewer in this century is the Armour Pattern series from 1975. These collagraph prints look like deconstructed pieces of Japanese armour that are symmetrically arranged and superbly colored—something you rarely see in works by Simpson. They have a vaguely Imagist feel to them, with their hard edge and compositional symmetry making me think of works by Karl Wirsum. But significantly, they bring Simpson’s works to life in a way we are not used to seeing in her mostly monochromatic sculptures.

        There were also three pieces that showed the development of shapes in oblique projection perspective. They inform the viewer about how Simpson’s sculptures acquire their form—for example, one (in an homage to Wharton?) is in the shape of a chair. These pieces are mixed media collages, dating from1976–77. Interestingly, in spite of being “drawings” they all have a sculptural quality.

        Samurai #1 demonstrates how Simpson’s flat forms fold into a finished piece. We are presented with both a framed print of the flat forms and a finished sculpture. This was an especially pleasing presentation for those (like this author) who are particularly interested in the geometry and assembly of forms. It is fascinating to figure out which piece goes where and into which slots and to see how Simpson “slants” the arced pieces to achieve her signature oblique perspective.

        There were three suites of collagraph prints on the outside of the Corbett vs. Dempsey booth that were of less interest. One was Laced Armour (front and back) showing strips of paper cross-laced through a larger sheet. Another was Apron Armour II and III, a pair of drawings that showed how a Japanese armour apron form could be manipulated. The third was Green Box Series III and IV. These two drawings were more iterations of possible apron form manipulations. These last two series were redundant and could have been pared down.

        This small and intimate exhibition reminded viewers that Diane Simpson is not just a sculptor of large-scale interior pieces. She is also an accomplished draftsperson that has created exquisite 2D pieces. This show gives us a better chance to appreciate the depth of her talent as an artist. It also offers insight on the subtle relationship she had with the Chicago Imagist mainstream and the close ties she maintained with the cooperative gallery scene in the 1970s.

Michel Ségard is the Editor in Chief of the New Art Examiner and a former adjunct assistant professor at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. He has been a published art critic for more than 45 years and is also the author of numerous exhibition catalog essays.