
The Glorious Collages of Lorna Simpson
This blog post is part of our ongoing Diversity in Publishing series, focusing on the need for inclusion, equity, and diverse voices within the book industry. Read more posts here.
“Black women’s heads of hair are galaxies unto themselves, solar systems, moonscapes, volcanic interiors. The hair she paints has a mind of its own. It is sinuous and cloudy and fully alive. It is forest and ocean, its own emotional weather.”
—Elizabeth Alexander, from the Introduction of Lorna Simpson Collages
Using advertising photographs of black women (and men) drawn from vintage issues of Ebony and Jet magazines, the exquisite and thought-provoking collages of world-renowned artist Lorna Simpson explore the richly nuanced language of hair. Surreal coiffures made from colorful ink washes, striking geological formations from old textbooks, and other unexpected forms and objects adorn the models to mesmerizingly beautiful effect.
Lorna Simpson Collages features 160 artworks in total, as well as a stunning introduction by poet, author, and scholar Elizabeth Alexander. All in all, it is a wondrous celebration of the power of Simpson’s visual vernacular, and of black women: “Black women are everywhere glorious and unsung.”

Earth & Sky #24, 2016

Earth & Sky #2, 2016

Earth & Sky #9, 2016

Speechless, 2017

A Friend, 2012

Form, 2012

Reignite, 2012

White Roses, 2011
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You can find Lorna Simpson Collages here.
Jenna Homen
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Shanta July 10, 2018 at 6:45 am
Thank you for highlighting this great book featuring the work of the amazing Lorna Simpson!