Lorna Simpson: Exploring Identity Politics through Art

This report explores the artworks of Lorna Simpson, an African American artist known for her exploration of identity politics and representation of the black experience. It discusses the impact of racism and discrimination on individuals, the changes in society towards equality, and highlights some of Simpson's key artworks.

ART

Lorna Simpson is an African American artist who is representing her thinking and
experience in photographs, videos and collages (Lawlor, 2018). She is a multi media artist and
showing experience as a black women in art piece. Lorna Simpson is well known for exploring
ideas or themes that is related to identity politics that is completely focusing on the black or gay
people. She has represented the issues of black person though he art work. As per her photograph
or videos she is symbolize different problems that is faced by black person who are marginalised
in the society (Elder, 2018). Lorna Simpson key artworks Enumerated, unanswerable, ice and
five Day forecast. This report includes historical as well as conceptual background about the
topic. Historical, artistic as well as conceptual context has been analysed in order to identity
those people. Apart from this discussion of the topic has been analysed in order support thesis.
(Altbach, 2016)
There are lots of issues and problem faced by people due to race, colour and background.
Racism and discrimination have huge impact over individual life. Discrimination involve all
those issue that occur due difference in skin colour and gender. This will lead to have impact
over the living standards. Discrimination includes all unfair as well as ethical practices
conducted by society towards back people (Li, 2019). Lorna Simpson is an artist who is creating
power art work for challenging and questing narrow society idea towards women, race and
culture. The discrimination is being caused due to many factors some of them make the life of
some people very miserable and they face exploitation in every life domain. Racial and cultural
differences among the people has been considered as one of the major element in promoting
discrimination. The racial discrimination is against the people on the basis of the skin colour,
their background, ethnic origin and racial (Kwansah-Aidoo and Mapedzahama, 2018). The ill
treatment of white people towards black people is being observed from past few decades which
make such community more backwards and under privileged. People belonging to different
culture and those who are gays are also getting adversely affected by the discrimination of
society. Now a days government bodies and agencies have made many acts and rules which are
in the favour of such exploited community, they help in bringing such community above the
boundary line and making them realise their self worth and importance in the society (Udah and
Singh, 2018). If still the level of exploitation is increasing then the people have to take a stand

for themselves and must fight for their rights. They should learn how to use the formed act and
policies in their favour and must reach out to high government agencies and high authorities to
solve their issues.
There are different rules and laws developed by government and political party regarding
race and colour discriminations. There are lots of changes occur in the behaviour as well as
thinking of people and society. In current environment various changes has been which is for
providing equality as well as respect to individual irrespective to their society (Kamiran and
et.al., 2018). Lorna Simpson is representing the dark side of her experience she has faced due to
race and colour discrimination. In spite she is one of the well known artist who have all freedom
as well as power to express her thoughts to the world. She can be considered as a great example
which is representing the changes in society as well as perception of person (Lawlor, 2018). In
today’s world different fields and organisation are providing equal opportunity black person and
gay. There is no discrimination between black and white people in fashion or entertainment
industry as there are various model or entertainer of black skin and gay. Diversity and equality
has played critical role in growth and development of society. Behaviour of people in changing
very fast which lead to reduce discrimination and other issues faced by black and gay people.
This change has lead to positive impact over people as well as provide health and better life style
(Onsando and Billett, 2017). Lorna Simpson is only repenting the darker of negative side in
order to show the issues faced by her and black people in society. She has exaggerated this issues
as she herself is example of freedom. Due to changes or reduction of discrimination, society as
well as it people has accepted or loved Lorna Simpson and her art work.
There are some artworks of Lorna Simpson which can represent her ideas as well as
thought. These images will help in explain her experience and name list of her photography is
five Day forecast, Enumerated, ice and unanswerable. (Rowan, 2017)

Figure 1Five Day Forecast
(Source: Lorna Simpson Five Day Forecast 1991, 2018)
In this image Lorna Simpson has used different words such as Misdescription,
misinformation, Misidentify, Misdiagnose, Misfunction, Mistranscribe, Misremember,
Misgauge, Misconstrue and Mistranslate (Benner, 2017). These words imply breakdown in
communication in racial relationship.
Figure 2Enumerated
(Source: Priscilla, 2016)

In her artwork name Enumerated, she has shown the waiting time or counting by crossing
four line of nail. Though this artwork she expresses her idea and the experience of mother, wives
and sister while police brutality. (Jabbari, 2018)
Counting art work of includes three back and white photographic images which consist
of mouth and neck of women, brick smoke house and coiled braid of hair. In the top most image
dark women is considered as unsettling reminders of visible signs and extrapolated into gender
norms and racial. While in smoke house image it is related to the slavery of African American
Illustration 3: Counting
Source : Counting, 1991.

In bottom image represent that coil of hair of face less women is interpreted as Western
femininity of coded notions.
Three Figures photograph of African American artist Lorna Simpson is representing three
individual one men and two women who are standing against inequality. This image is
considered as one of the famous artwork that is reflecting the era of civil right where these three
individual are holding hands when there are being hosed with fire by police.
Illustration 1: Three Figures
Source: Re-imagining Historical
Photographs: Paintings by Lorna Simpson
and Cheung Sze-lit. 2020

Figure 3Unanswerable
(Source: Goodman, 2018)
“Unanswerable” photograph of Lorna Simpson is reflecting the contemporary culture of
America. She is expressing the issues of race and discrimination faced by people (Onsando and
Billett, 2017).
From the above report it can be concluded that there are different issues faced by people
due to discriminations. Inequality on the bases on colour, culture and race will lead to have major
impact over life and experience of a person. It is essential to have equality and diversity in
society in order to provide equal right to each and every person.

REFERENCES
Books and Journals
Altbach, P.G., 2016. The Many Traditions of Liberal Arts—and Their Global
Relevance. International Higher Education, (84), pp.21-23.
Benner, A., 2017. The toll of racial/ethnic discrimination on adolescents' adjustment. Child
development perspectives. 11(4). pp.251-256.
Elder, N., 2018. Lorna Simpson's Fabricated Truths. Art Journal. 77(1). pp.30-53.
Jabbari, F., 2018. The Discursive Production of Citizenship, Social Identity, and Religious
Discrimination: The Case of Tunisia (Doctoral dissertation, Ohio University).
Kamiran, F. and et.al., 2018. Exploiting reject option in classification for social discrimination
control. Information Sciences. 425. pp.18-33.
Kwansah-Aidoo, K. and Mapedzahama, V., 2018. There is really discrimination everywhere”:
Experiences and consequences of everyday racism among the new black African
diaspora in Australia. Australasian Review of African Studies. 39(1). pp.81-109.
Lawlor, S., 2018. Photography, Mentorship and online Media: The Empowering Art Practices of
Lorna Simpson and Zanele Muholi (Master's thesis).
Li, Y.T., 2019. “It’s Not Discrimination”: Chinese Migrant Workers’ Perceptions of and
Reactions to Racial Microaggressions in Australia. Sociological Perspectives,
p.0731121419826583.
Onsando, G. and Billett, S., 2017. Refugee immigrants’ experiences of racism and racial
discrimination at Australian TAFE institutes: a transformative psychosocial
approach. Journal of Vocational Education & Training. 69(3). pp.333-350.
Rowan, J.N., 2017. Equal Protection for Equal Play: A Constitutional Solution to Gender
Discrimination in International Sports. Vand. J. Ent. & Tech. L.. 20. p.919.
Udah, H. and Singh, P., 2018. 'It still matters': The role of skin colour in the everyday life and
realities of black African migrants and refugees in Australia. Australasian Review of
African Studies, The. 39(2). p.19.
Online
Goodman., J., 2018. Art and photography light box. [Online]. Accessed through
<https://www.dazeddigital.com/art-photography/article/39242/1/how-artist-lorna-
simpson-makes-new-meaning-from-old-materials>
Lorna Simpson Five Day Forecast 1991. 2018 [Online]. Accessed through
<https://www.tate.org.uk/art/artworks/simpson-five-day-forecast-t13335>
Priscilla., F., 2016. Lorna Simpson creates haunting meditations on the state of blackness in
America. [Online]. Accessed through <https://www.huffingtonpost.in/entry/lorna-
simpson-interview-salon-94_n_57eeb9cde4b082aad9bb375b?ri18n=true>
Counting, 1991. 2020. Accessed through
<https://artmuseum.princeton.edu/collections/objects/17592>.
Re-imagining Historical Photographs: Paintings by Lorna Simpson and Cheung Sze-lit. 2020.
Accessed through <https://artjouer.wordpress.com/2018/04/10/re-imagining-historical-
photographs/>.