“Beneath the Midnight Sun,” an exhibition of breathtaking works by Lily Simonson is on view at CB1 Gallery through May 29th. The exhibition leads viewers into a world that literally glows, inside and out.
There’s nothing quite like the colorscape Simonson uses. It vibrates both on and under the surface.
The exhibition’s origin is the artist’s trips to Antarctica. She served as the Awardee for the National Science Foundation Antarctic Artists and Writers Program. Simonson’s art is very much an adventure, for the artist as well as the viewer. Along with her Antarctic expeditions, she served as the Artist in Residence aboard the Exploration Vessel Nautilus and the Research Vessel Melville.
“It’s exciting to reveal the life under the sea ice and on land, the crazy geological formations, and to share some of the surprisingly diverse and unexpected beauty, ” Simonson relates.
She uses acrylics, oil, and fluorescent pigment that glows in black light and creates a translucent appearance in white light. The effect is one of dazzling depth, a multi-layered immersion in surreal, vibrant colors.
Simonson is an explorer, both literally and through her innovative, experiential art. Dive on in.
Simonson’s work is on view at CB1 Gallery from April 16 – May 29, 2016. CB1 is located at 1923 S. Santa Fe Ave. in DTLA’s warehouse district.
- Genie Davis, all photos: Jack Burke