DIONNE SIMPSON "New Work," October 21 to November 20, 2010, Artfirm Gallery, Calgary

DIONNE SIMPSON

New Work, October 21 to November 20, 2010, Artfirm Gallery, Calgary

BY: Patricia Dawn Robertson

Toronto artist Dionne Simpson’s latest series of works investigates what she calls the “widescape” of Calgary. Simpson wants to depict the city from a fresh perspective, employing the unique woven canvas technique she’s perfected. “The city is under construction,” says Simpson, “so it works well with my own work.” She’s attracted to the dynamic city, which is constantly in transition. It’s a state of flux the artist can relate to — until she completed the renovation of her home studio space, she was using a ladder to climb up to the second floor. The weaving and surface covering of her pieces is a response to the texture of architecture. The daughter of an architect, Simpson gravitates to lines, buildings and structures. “I love it when buildings come apart. I love surfaces, colours and natural outcroppings.” A graduate of the Ontario College of Art & Design, Simpson creates delicate and intricate textures in her paintings, demonstrating a love of materials — every portrait of a city or a building is a self-portrait, she says.