John Simpson: Solo Show

About

John Simpson is one of those artists whose work appears on first encounter to have a deceptive simplicity, both of technique and meaning. However, the clarity of the images produced by the monotype print medium he uses belie its tricky technicality and the almost fairytale quality of his imagery conceals an underlying tension. His solo show, ‘Inheritors' Signal Gallery will be his third solo show in London and brings together a refined body of new work from 2009. Much of the work in the show borrows ideas from Native American folk law. This is a common theme running through much of Simpson's work. His concern is to explore the puzzling relationships between man and other animals in order to find subconscious links. ‘I don't wish to Anthropomorphise these creatures but rather to reflect on man's position within nature'. It is Simpson's ability to capture the physical and psychological qualities of these creatures that make the resulting imagery both disquieting and enchanting in equal measure. Simpson's primary medium is the ‘monotype', a process that is recognised as the most direct and painterly form of printmaking. The Signal Gallery show will present a series of these exquisitely executed prints and well as new editions of silkscreen prints. However, beyond the technical demands of printmaking, drawing has always been the most important element in Simpson's work. His work relates to the graphic tradition of artists such as Durer, Goya and Edvard Munch.