D.L. Simmons First Place Winner for Clearly Human IV

Hugger-Mugger, carbon transfer, enamel, acrylic, 93 x 80 inches, 2018

In our new exhibit Clearly Human IV, the goal of each piece was to seek a diverse view of humanity through any medium by focusing on the human figure. Artist D.L. Simmons achieved just that, taking first place in the show with his megalithic triptych.

D.L. Simmons began his professional art career in college, where he received a BFA in Studio Art at the Maryland Institute College of Art. Simmons went on to receive his MFA with a focus in Printmaking at Louisiana State University.

Simmons’ work aims to respond directly to his life experiences, through the imagery of objects and icons that reflect abstract vignettes of life. Through his personal experiences, he explores various cultural contexts and visual concepts through metaphor. In his artists’ statements, he says, “My work is the physical embodiment of an emotional experience as an investigation of the self, told in the media of printmaking and the process therein.” 

In his prize-winning piece Hugger-Mugger for Clearly Human IV, Simmons created a massive triptych, clocking in at 93” by 80”. Made from carbon transfer, enamel, and acrylic, demands to be noticed. From the first look, only the colors and textures of the prints catch the eye. But further inspections reveal various body parts depicted, such as an elegantly resting hand. Hugger-Mugger calls for deep introspection, and for viewers to take their time digesting the experiences displayed within the colorful, complex piece. The mysterious and nostalgic nature of the piece exposes itself in the foggy floral wallpaper, and bright strips of color overlaying the images. Hugger-Mugger seems to create a story of a distant memory, with some aspects forgotten while others ring clear. We asked D.L. Simmons a couple questions about this work and his experiences as a printmaker:

Tali: What inspired you to make Hugger-Mugger? What does its title mean?

D.L. Simmons: The idea of subjectivity really led me to create this piece, and I wanted to make it in a way that it’s rather unclear what you’re seeing. I created the piece to have little narrativity, and for the viewers to take whatever preconceived notions they have to try and decipher the piece. I am a dyslexic and ambidextrous artist, so I feel as though I see the process of art and art itself differently than others, and I try to display this in my art. The title itself is an Old English saying: where something was done in darkness, and in secret.

Tali: How did you feel this piece fit the theme of Clearly Human IV?

Simmons: Hugger-Mugger revolves around perceptions of self. It’s like the idea of not having clarity, or being unsure with one’s state of being. Some may perceive these works as political, but it’s about the loss of history. When I’m creating a piece, I have a clear idea of what the final product will look like when I start. However, someone watching me create a piece will not see the actual image reveal itself until I’m about 95% done. This lack of clarity connected this piece to unclear perceptions of self.

Tali: This piece is the largest in the exhibition. What led you to create a piece this size?

Simmons: The scale plays a large part in the interpretation of this piece. As I said before, the piece is up to the viewer to decide what it means, and what’s the story. I wanted it to be that if a viewer was looking up close, the actual subjects are lost in the colors and textures. If a viewer took steps back and viewed it from afar, though, the figure would expose itself and the meaning to the viewer would change. In order to do this, I needed to create a larger piece.

Tali: What makes larger than life figures so significant?

Simmons: This piece took me a year to finish. I’m really driven by a quote from iconic artist Mark Rothko: “A picture lives by companionship, expanding and quickening in the eyes of the sensitive observer. It dies by the same token. It is therefore risky to send it out into the world. How often it must be impaired by the eyes of the unfeeling and the cruelty of the impotent.” I want the eyes of the viewer to take in every aspect and portion of the figures in my pieces. This means creating large works that allow the eyes of the viewer to roll through each aspect, both close up and from afar.

Incendium (80” x 93”) Multiple Process Acrylic and Enamel Carbon Transfer/2018

Tali: Is the subject a recurring figure within pieces/your work?

Simmons: I’m always using figures in my pieces, but the imagery of these figures changes with each work in a series. I do this to increase the participation of the viewer in identifying what the figure means in each work.

Tali: Why did you choose to master in printmaking as a medium?

Simmons: Printmaking is a very special art form because it doesn’t have to be a limited process. It makes you think in layers and apply the knowledge you have of the process into your ideas. It’s such an adventure making a piece, where the process itself helps change and ground my own individual thought process too. The separation of hand also allows my voice to come through. As a teacher, I want my students to feel how the idea that you start with might not be the same as the end product because the process takes you on an adventure of different ideas and experiments.

Tali: What moment in your life drew you to create art?

Simmons: Growing up, my family had a deep love for the arts. My grandparents were artists and students at the Ringling College of Art and Design in Sarasota, Florida when it first opened. After their graduation from Ringling College of Art and Design they moved to South Carolina. When I would visit, my grandparents would hand me different supplies to draw and play with, like pastels. I loved experimenting with all these different types of art supplies and watching my grandparents create their art too, like my grandfather who was a graphic designer and illustrator. These early experimentations drew me into the world of art.

The St Louis Artist’s Guild is grateful to exhibit this wonderful piece by D.L. Simmons in the Clearly Human IV which is on view from June 19 to August 1, 2020, free to all. Come in and admire Hugger-Mugger, among multiple other fantastic pieces by artists from around the region.

Written by guest blogger Tali Gorodetsky