Cape

Diane Simpson makes hybrid forms that blur distinctions between fashion, architecture, and sculpture. Meticulously conceived and impeccably executed, her works are inspired by historical costume, domestic furniture, utilitarian objects, and industrial design. Indeed, each of her sculptures derives from a specific source, which Simpson analyzes, revises, and abstracts through rigorous drawings. The final sculptural form is then determined by means of construction and choice of materials, which have ranged from medium-density fiberboard (MDF) to aluminum to vintage linoleum. One particular strain of Simpson’s work engages with how clothing articulates the human body by simultaneously shaping and performing identity. Cape was sparked by a European men’s garment from the mid-16th century. The rigidity of the fiberboard structure is complicated by each strut’s oblique angle; the sculpture’s airy, open-work design; and the suggestive suspension of the work at shoulder height.