Laurie Simmons facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Laurie Simmons
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| Born | 1949 |
| Education | Tyler School of Art |
| Known for | Photography, film, sculpture |
| Spouse(s) | Carroll Dunham |
| Awards | Guggenheim Fellowship, American Academy in Rome, National Endowment for the Arts |
Laurie Simmons (born 1949) is a famous American artist. She is known for her photography and films. She was part of a group of artists in the late 1970s. This group, called the The Pictures Generation, used new ways to make art. They wanted to show that photography could be just as important as painting.
Laurie Simmons creates detailed pictures. She often uses dolls, puppets, or mannequins in her art. Sometimes, she even shows real people acting like dolls. Her art often has humor and deep feelings. It makes you think about what is real and what is not. She also explores ideas about who we are and how we present ourselves.
Her art is in many important museums. These include the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA). She has also shown her work in many exhibitions around the world. In 1997, she received a special award called a Guggenheim Fellowship. Laurie Simmons lives and works in New York City.
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Becoming an Artist
Laurie Simmons was born in 1949 in Far Rockaway, Queens, New York. Her father was a dentist and her mother was a homemaker. She grew up in Great Neck, Long Island. She started taking pictures when she was only six years old. Her father gave her a Kodak Brownie camera.
She studied art at the Tyler School of Art and Architecture. She learned about printmaking, painting, and sculpture. She earned her degree in 1971.
After college, Simmons traveled in Europe. She then lived in a shared home in upstate New York. While there, she bought many toys and dollhouse furniture from a closing toy store. This gave her an idea to try new things with photography.
In 1973, she moved to SoHo in New York City. She shared a loft with photographer Jimmy DeSana. He helped her set up a darkroom to develop photos. Simmons started making unique art using old dollhouses and the toys she bought. This was a new way to create art at that time.
Exhibitions and Shows
Laurie Simmons had her first solo art shows in New York. These were at Artists Space (1979) and MoMA PS1 (1979). She also had a long relationship with Metro Pictures gallery, starting in 1981. Her work was also shown at the Walker Art Center in 1987.
Over the years, her art has been shown in many places. These include galleries in New York and London. Her work has also been featured in museums like the Contemporary Art Museum St. Louis.
Many museums have held special shows just for her art. These are called retrospectives. They include the San Jose Museum of Art (1990) and the Baltimore Museum of Art (1997). More recently, her work was shown at the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth (2018). The Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago, also held a big show of her art in 2019.
Simmons has also been part of important group art shows. These include the Whitney Biennial (1985, 1991). She also showed her art at the Bienal de São Paulo in Brazil (1985).
Family Life
Laurie Simmons lives and works in New York City. She also spends time in Cornwall, Connecticut. Her husband is the painter Carroll Dunham.
They have two children. Their daughter is Lena Dunham, who is a writer, director, and actress. Their son is Cyrus Dunham, who is an author and activist.
Art in Collections and Awards
Laurie Simmons's art is owned by many famous art collections. These include the Art Institute of Chicago and the Brooklyn Museum. Her work is also at the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) and the Tate in London. The Whitney Museum and the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum also have her art.
She has received many awards for her contributions to art. In 2013, she got a Women in the Arts Award from the Brooklyn Museum. She also received a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts in 1984. In 2016, the International Center of Photography honored her for her important work in visual culture.
See also
In Spanish: Laurie Simmons para niños
