Laurie Simmons We’re living through an incredibly scary and overwhelming time. In my lifetime, I cannot recall anything of this magnitude affecting so many numbers of people globally. How are you holding up? Do you feel you’re more creative or less so? One silver lining I’ve found is that it has reminded me of what really matters in life. What is essential. And how much I take for granted. I am also in awe of the selflessness of our health-workers and aghast at the lack of medical supplies provided for them. A few film recommendations to get us through this quarantine: Top-of-mind artists you would recommend younger generations to explore: A societal myth or truth you are currently exploring or wish to: Has the surge of digital technology and all of its habitual and cultural consequences affected your work and how you conceptualize new projects: You spent formative years in the Catskills. Have you been upstate in recent years to see how it has evolved or does its renaissance interest you: Favorite Yiddish words/sayings: Your work has been rife with plastics. The outer shine and the toxic underbelly. This can relate to society’s obsession with fame and the subsequent celebration and vilification of celebrities. Do you see this connection at all in your own work? In a past life, you'd like to think you were: Your exploration of gender roles, and specifically the housewife was a theme in your early work. I'm curious if you have inherited any aspects of that archetype. Do you cook dinner? Does Carroll do the dishes? Cultural conversations on a mass scale have become increasingly devoid of nuance in some ways due to the character count on Twitter and news headlines. Have you noticed that shift play out in the art world? What you're most nostalgic for: You do know your lipstick. For some levity, please share your favorites: Any books or music you're exploring right now: Advice you might give to anyone experiencing imposter syndrome: How you decompress in times of high-anxiety, like now: If you were an artist in your 20s, you would be living here: Fanciest or most memorable hotels you've ever stayed at: Your vices: Thank you! Thank You
