DANNY SIMMONS:
THE LONG AND SHORT OF IT
EXHIBITION DATES:
September 10 - November 12, 2022
WESTWOOD GALLERY NYC presents “Danny Simmons: The Long and Short of It,” a solo exhibition of paintings, textile assemblage, and works on paper by the Neo-African Abstract Expressionist. This is the artist’s first solo exhibition with the gallery and includes new artwork as well as historic work from 1990s-present. The exhibition is curated by James Cavello in keeping with the core gallery program. Danny Simmons is exclusively represented by Westwood Gallery NYC and the exhibition will be on view from September 10 – November 12, 2022.
Danny Simmons is a self-taught painter who focused on his art career from the late 1970s. His initial series of works were developed in 1992 with a strong interest in Surrealism, inspired by artists such as Wilfredo Lam, Norman Lewis, Cy Twombly, and Ouattara Watts. Through his natural inclination toward collecting and studying tribal and African art, Simmons began to see patterns in the markings and iconography. Although many of his early paintings and inspirations were figurative abstractions, Simmons organically transitioned his work to non-representational as he moved to incorporate his connection to the cultural signs and symbols of tribal artists and artisans and reappropriating African forms from Modernist history.
"Part of my visual cues which I did get inspiration from is the art of Africa or indigenous arts all around so long before I used any of the fabric, I would note the patterns. This includes textiles from Ghana, body paintings from Africa and other parts of the world.”
Danny Simmons (b. 1953)
The Painter, 1999
oil on canvas, 60 x 72 inches | 152.4 x 182.9 cm
Unique
archival pigment print on Hahnemühle German Etching paper, edition of 10
signed and numbered by the artist
30 x 40 inches | 76.2 x 101.6 cm
Unframed
Inquire
“The Painter” (1999), on view in the exhibition, provides a view of Simmons’ earlier work, which evolved organically into his own movement he titled, Neo-African Abstract Expressionism. As he moved into more abstract expressionism, Simmons developed a quiet process and methodology, which represents a transfer of energy, reminiscent of the spiritually charged Minkisi figures from the Congo, which transfers spiritual power into an artist’s carved wooden figure.
As he attained full abstraction in the 2000s, Simmons began to utilize dots as the primary visual motif in his paintings. The dot patterns emanated from indigenous dot painting techniques, used as coding for sacred stories and ancient iconography. In the last decade, Simmons incorporated collaged textiles into his paintings, sourcing his inspiration from African weavings and symbolically patterned cloth. The unique quilted assemblages are applied directly onto the canvas and in recent works, Simmons creates long trails of fabric cascading beneath the painting.
In his studio, Simmons is surrounded by his large collection of African art and sculpture from Congo, Mali, Ivory Coast, Liberia, Benin, Guinea, Burkina Faso, Ghana, West Africa, and many other nations, which for him, provides an artistic energy field. African power figures have been a compelling influence in the creative spirit of Simmons for 30 years.
"My concept is to place spirit into the creation of my artwork much like indigenous artisans place spirit into inanimate sculpture. My technique is to paint in complete silence and isolation and hopefully allow intellect and spiritual influence to guide my painting."
ARTWORKS ON EXHIBIT
To inquire regarding prices for artworks featured in the exhibition, and to purchase any of the artworks shown below, contact the gallery at info@westwoodgallery.com.
PAINTINGS ON CANVAS
WORKS ON PAPER
Danny Simmons: The Long and Short of It, 2022
Click to view more information and to order.
Published for the premiere exhibition Danny Simmons: The Long and Short of It, curated by James Cavello at Westwood Gallery NYC, the artist's first solo exhibition with the gallery.
Publisher: Westwood Gallery NYC
Publication date: 2022
Contributors: Susan E. Cahan, James Cavello, Margarite Almeida, Danny Simmons
Format: Hardcover
Paper: 100# Mohawk Superfine Uncoated (148 GSM)
Dimensions: 10 x 8 inches (20 x 25 cm)
Pages: 68
Language: English
ISBN: 978-0-9655834-7-3
ABOUT DANNY SIMMONS
Danny Simmons is a visual artist, poet, author, curator, and noted collector of contemporary art and African sculpture. His artworks have been exhibited nationally and internationally and collected by major institutions and private collectors.
Selected museum exhibitions include the Houston Museum of African American Culture, Ghana National Museum, Parish Gallery, Washington D.C., Noel Gallery, Charlotte, North Carolina, among others. His artworks are in museum and institutional collections such as the Brooklyn Museum, Montclair Art Museum, Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Art, The Smithsonian, US State Department (Suriname), Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, and other collections.
Read more about Danny Simmons and his exhibition history on his artist page.
Simmons is a former board member of the Brooklyn Museum, the Brooklyn Public Library, the New York Foundation of the Arts, and a former Chairman of the NYS Council on the Arts. In 2019, he was appointed to the Philadelphia Museum of Art’s African American Collections Committee.
Simmons is also the cofounder, along with his brothers Russell Simmons and Joseph “Rev. Run” Simmons, of the renowned Rush Philanthropic Arts Foundation. Through the non-profit organization, Rush Arts Gallery NYC and Rush Arts Philadelphia have served as important cultural hubs providing exhibitions, arts education, and opportunities for hundreds of emerging, developing and underrepresented artists of color since 1995.