When Glenn O’Brien curated our very first exhibition Wit, we visited the photographer, Laurie Simmons at her New York studio. In our interview with Simmons, she spoke with us about her process, her interest in the unreal, and her ongoing relationship with the life size hyper-realistic Japanese-made love-dolls.
Simmons, who is featured in our current auction for “Art for Water,” presents a black and white photograph entitled Untitled Dummy/Beach III, 1990. Dramatically different from her most recent series, The Love Doll, this black and white photograph depicts a ventriloquists doll relaxing on the beach. His pitch black eyes gaze lifelessly towards the side, and his mouth holds mischief. Without a ventriloquists, the doll is left to speak for himself. Perhaps Simmons lives through the doll; its inability to verbally communicate is reflected in her use of the photographic medium. Having always been interested in the interaction of constructed realities, Simmons’s doll-related work has always focused on crossing boundaries between the natural realm and the imaginary.
Check out Laurie Simmons’ artwork here. Members can exclusively access Simmons’ dossier page from Glenn O’Brien’s Wit.
“Art for Water” is co-hosted by both Paddle8 and the Waterkeeper Alliance, and is led by artist chair Jeff Koons. For more information on the Waterkeeper Alliance, check out their website. Be sure to take a look at the rest of the Waterkeeper Preview on Paddle8 here.