Simpson has explored varieties of abstraction since the early 1950s, enjoying acknowledgement and success in the art world. In 1963 he was chosen by New York’s Museum of Modern Art curator, Dorothy Miller, to appear in what turned out to be the last in her legendary series of group shows of contemporary American art. (Reinhardt was another painter included.) And in 1964 he appeared in Clement Greenberg’s famous exhibition Post Painterly Abstraction at Los Angeles County Museum of Art. At that time Simpson painted landscape-derived abstractions and, in the 70s, he practiced a reductive but relational mode of abstraction. But with his discovery of a new acrylic medium in 1987, he was able to embrace finally and successfully the monochrome’s radicality.
Simpson uses an acrylic paint with interference properties. The paint is composed of titanium dioxide electronically coated with mica particles. Simpson tends to mix complementaries, but admits that orange and blue also work together well. He also mixes black acrylic with the interference pigments, finding that a little bit of black helps the colour jump out. Interference pigments cause optical effects that are comparable to iridescence. When you look at the painting from one angle, you receive one set of colour sensations. When you shift your position, you get another. As you move back and forth in front of the canvas – and the paintings make you want to do so – the experience changes. The change of light also dramatically affects the optical experience, and the play of light across the canvas surface is subtly kinetic.
See biography
Works on canvas
-
Ryder 6, 1995
acrylic on canvas
15 x 15 cm -
DOT, 2005
acrylic on canvas
15 x 15 cm -
Del Rey 6, 1995
Acrilico su tela,
15,5 x 15,5 cm -
Deep Down, 2019
Acrilico su tela,
40,5 x 40,5 cm -
Indigo Trail, 2013
Acrylic on canvas
86 x 86 cm -
Daylight Hours, 1998
acrylic on canvas
154 x 154 cm -
Lavender Jace, 2003
acrylic on canvas
154 x 154 cm -
Swing Shift Red, 1995
acrylic on canvas
154 x 154 cm -
C-Sharp, 2005
acrylic on canvas
152,2 x 152,2 cm -
Storm and Silence, 2001
acrylic on canvas
183 x 183 cm -
The state of the Union, 2003
acrylic on canvas
190 x 140 cm -
A Pastoral, An Arcady, 2001
acrylic on canvas
190 x 140 x 6,5 cm -
Loco Plum, 2001
acrylic on canvas
114,5 x 81,5 x 6,5 cm -
An Elysium, A Beau Monde, 2001
acrylic on canvas
190 x 140 x 6,5 cm -
A Beau Monde, A Pastoral, 2001
acrylic on canvas
190 x 140 x 6,5 cm -
Eccentric polyplane #7, 1984
acrylic on canvas on wood
30 x 30,2 x 5 cm -
Tri-square VII - converted - 0327S, 1986
acrylic on canvas on wood
38 x 57 x 5 cm -
Eccentric monoplane: red shift - 0326S, 1984
acrylic on canvas on wood
37 x 46 x 4,5 cm -
Eccentric polyplane #6, 1984
acrylic on canvas on wood
45 x 45,5 x 5 cm -
Ides of May, 2014
Acrylic on canvas,
101,5 x 101,5 x 6,5 cm -
Blue Streak, 2017
Acrylic on canvas,
40,5 x 40,5 x 4,5 cm -
Rosie Out Look, 2019
Acrylic on canvas,
86 x 86 x 4,5 cm -
Pink Roses, 2021
Acrylic on wood,
30,5 x 23 x 4,5 cm
Installations
-
Summer Show, 2016
installation view
Studio la Città, Verona -
Wall toys for adults, 2016
installation view
Studio la Città, Verona -
Installation view, 2016
Studio la Città, Arte Fiera, Bologna
-
IN-FINITUM, 2009
installation view
Palazzo Fortuny, Venezia -
Installation view, 2008
Studio la Città, Verona
-
Installation view, 2001
Studio la Città, Verona
-
Codici. David Simpson - Marmi Romani
installation view, 2021
Videos
Works on canvas
-
Ryder 6, 1995
acrylic on canvas
15 x 15 cm -
DOT, 2005
acrylic on canvas
15 x 15 cm -
Del Rey 6, 1995
Acrilico su tela,
15,5 x 15,5 cm -
Deep Down, 2019
Acrilico su tela,
40,5 x 40,5 cm -
Indigo Trail, 2013
Acrylic on canvas
86 x 86 cm -
Daylight Hours, 1998
acrylic on canvas
154 x 154 cm -
Lavender Jace, 2003
acrylic on canvas
154 x 154 cm -
Swing Shift Red, 1995
acrylic on canvas
154 x 154 cm -
C-Sharp, 2005
acrylic on canvas
152,2 x 152,2 cm -
Storm and Silence, 2001
acrylic on canvas
183 x 183 cm -
The state of the Union, 2003
acrylic on canvas
190 x 140 cm -
A Pastoral, An Arcady, 2001
acrylic on canvas
190 x 140 x 6,5 cm -
Loco Plum, 2001
acrylic on canvas
114,5 x 81,5 x 6,5 cm -
An Elysium, A Beau Monde, 2001
acrylic on canvas
190 x 140 x 6,5 cm -
A Beau Monde, A Pastoral, 2001
acrylic on canvas
190 x 140 x 6,5 cm -
Eccentric polyplane #7, 1984
acrylic on canvas on wood
30 x 30,2 x 5 cm -
Tri-square VII - converted - 0327S, 1986
acrylic on canvas on wood
38 x 57 x 5 cm -
Eccentric monoplane: red shift - 0326S, 1984
acrylic on canvas on wood
37 x 46 x 4,5 cm -
Eccentric polyplane #6, 1984
acrylic on canvas on wood
45 x 45,5 x 5 cm -
Ides of May, 2014
Acrylic on canvas,
101,5 x 101,5 x 6,5 cm -
Blue Streak, 2017
Acrylic on canvas,
40,5 x 40,5 x 4,5 cm -
Rosie Out Look, 2019
Acrylic on canvas,
86 x 86 x 4,5 cm -
Pink Roses, 2021
Acrylic on wood,
30,5 x 23 x 4,5 cm
Installations
-
Summer Show, 2016
installation view
Studio la Città, Verona -
Wall toys for adults, 2016
installation view
Studio la Città, Verona -
Installation view, 2016
Studio la Città, Arte Fiera, Bologna
-
IN-FINITUM, 2009
installation view
Palazzo Fortuny, Venezia -
Installation view, 2008
Studio la Città, Verona
-
Installation view, 2001
Studio la Città, Verona
-
Codici. David Simpson - Marmi Romani
installation view, 2021
