Lewis Cole "Buster" Simpson (born in 1942) is an American sculptor and environmental artist based in Seattle, Washington.
Buster Simpson | |
|---|---|
| Born | Lewis Cole Simpson 1942 |
| Nationality | American |
| Education | University of Michigan |
| Known for | Sculpture, Environmental art |
Career edit
Lewis Cole Simpson was born in Saginaw, Michigan and raised in a nearby farming community. He became interested in art while attending junior college in Flint and attended the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, graduating in 1969 with a master in fine arts. After graduating, Simpson joined other artists at the Woodstock Festival in New York state, helping build play areas for festivalgoers.[1][2]
Simpson caught the attention of glass artist Dale Chihuly in 1971 while giving a talk at the Rhode Island School of Design and invited him to join the new Pilchuck Glass School near Stanwood, Washington. Two years later, Simpson moved to Seattle and began his work in "recycled art" at a studio in Pioneer Square.[3] During the 1970s, Simpson created several pieces of public art along Post Alley near Pike Place Market, utilizing materials from dumpsters and thrift shops for Shared Clothesline and discarded bottles as scrap glass for 90 Pine Show and Counterparts. He also developed an alter ego, named "Woodman", used during street performances while scavenging for materials.[4][5]
During the 1980s, Simpson engaged in "agitprop" work, including dropping soft limestone blocks in the headwaters of the Hudson River that was dubbed by the media as "River Rolaids".[6] Simpson was later commissioned by institutions and governments across the United States and Canada to create public art to display in cities. Simpson was given his first career retrospective in 2013 at the Frye Art Museum in Seattle, called Buster Simpson: Surveyor.[7]
In 2019, Buster Simpson was included in two group exhibitions exploring the material glass as vehicle for sculpture, in painting and as tool of conceptual inspiration - An Alternative History: The Other Glass, in New York City and As In Also: An Alternative Too, in Seattle - each organized by artist, published author and independent curator John Drury.
Works edit
| TITLE | LOCATION | CITY | STATE/COUNTRY | YEAR | NOTES | IMAGE |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Divining | Latta Plantation Nature Preserve
Visitor's Center |
Huntersville | North Carolina | 2018 | ||
| Wickiup Overlook & Encampment | Pearsall Park | San Antonio | Texas | 2016 | ||
| Discombobulated Discourse | Duwamish Revealed | Seattle | Washington | 2015 | ||
| Orange Lining & Impressed Concrete | TriMet Orange Line | Portland | Oregon | 2015 | Collaboration with Peg Butler | |
| Cradle | South Waterfront Park | Portland | Oregon | 2015 | ||
| Offering Cycle | Anchorage | Alaska | 2014 | |||
| Anthropocene Beach | Elliott Bay Seawall Habitat Project | Seattle | Washington | In Progress | ||
| Vernacular | Bellevue Regional Library | Bellevue | Washington | 2013 | ||
| Presence | Salt Lake City Public Safety Building | Salt Lake City | Utah | 2013 | ||
| Aerie | US Army Corps of Engineers HQ | Seattle | Washington | 2012 | ||
| Oculus Sol | Old Town Center | Indio | California | 2012 | ||
| Carbon Veil | SeaTac International Airport Rental Car Facility | Seattle | Washington | 2012 | ||
| Dekumstruction Bike Corral | Adjacent to Breakside Brewery/NE | Portland | Oregon | 2012 | Collaboration with Peg Butler | |
| Bio Boulevard & Water Molecule | Brightwater Treatment Facility | Woodinville | Washington | 2011 | ||
| Flamingo Arroyo | Flamingo Arroyo Trailhead | Las Vegas | Nevada | 2010 | Collaboration with Barbara Grygutis, Kevin Berry | |
| Cloke Plaza | University of Maine | Orono | Maine | 2010 | ||
| Bucket Brigade | East Multnomah Soil and Water Conservation District HQ | Portland | Oregon | 2009 | Collaboration with Peg Butler | |
| Whole Flow | Whole Foods | Pasadena | California | 2009 | ||
| Instrument Implement: Walla Walla Campanile | William A. Grant Water & Environmental Center | Walla Walla | Washington | 2008 | ||
| Poetic License | William A. Grant Water & Environmental Center | Walla Walla | Washington | 2008 | ||
| Ice Blade | Olympic Oval Bridge | Richmond | British Columbia, Canada | 2008 | ||
| Parable | Sound Transit, Mount Baker Station | Seattle | Washington | 2008 | ||
| Tempe Light Rail Transit Bridge | Tempe | Arizona | 2007 | |||
| The Monolith | Turtle Bay Exploration Center | Redding | California | 2005 | ||
| Rosettaraay | Merck-Rosetta | Seattle | Washington | 2004 | ||
| Ping Pong Plaza | Merck-Rosetta | Seattle | Washington | 2004 | ||
| Beckoning Cistern | Growing Vine Street | Seattle | Washington | 2003 | ||
| Mobius Band | Puget Sound Environmental Learning Center | Bainbridge Island | Washington | 2002 | ||
| Portal | Washington State University | Pullman | Washington | 2001 | ||
| Water Glass & Water Table | Ellington Condominium | Seattle | Washington | 2001 | ||
| Moment | Harbor Steps | Seattle | Washington | 2000 | ||
| Brush with Illumination | False Creek | Vancouver | British Columbia, Canada | updated 2009 | ||
| Parapet Relay | University of Washington/Tacoma Campus | Tacoma | Washington | 1997 | ||
| King Street Gardens | Alexandria | Virginia | 1997 | Collaboration with Laura Sindell, Mark Spitzer, Becca Hanson | ||
| Offering Hat, Drinking Cup and Illuminated Boat | Kansas City Public Health Facility | Kansas City | Missouri | 1997 | ||
| Fenceline Artifact and Prairie Wagon | Denver International Airport | Denver | Colorado | 1994 | ||
| Exchanger Fountain | Anaheim Redevelopment Agency | Anaheim | California | 1993 | ||
| Host Analog | Oregon Convention Center | Portland | Oregon | 1991 | ||
| Seattle George Monument | Seattle Convention Center | Seattle | Washington | 1989 |
| TITLE | LOCATION | CITY | STATE/COUNTRY | YEAR | NOTES | IMAGE |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Purge Series | Hudson River and other locations | New York | 1983–Present | |||
| Shared Clothesline | Belltown | Seattle | Washington | 1978 | ||
| Lundeberg Derby Monument | Seattle | Washington |
- 2009 Public Art Network Award from Americans for the Arts[9]
References edit
- ^ Graves, Jen (September 18, 2013). "Simpson, Buster (b. 1942)". HistoryLink. Retrieved November 24, 2016.
- ^ Updike, Robin (January 18, 1998). "Expanding the canvas for public art: Agitator Buster Simpson's works are of the people, and for the people". The Seattle Times. p. M1. Retrieved November 24, 2016.
- ^ Graves, Jen (September 20, 2013). "Buster Simpson arrives in Seattle and makes his first eco-art installation downtown, with fellow artist Chris Jonic, beginning on December 4, 1973". HistoryLink. Retrieved November 24, 2016.
- ^ Farr, Sheila (June 18, 2013). "Enter the Woodman: The Frye Recaps the Career of Eco-Artist Buster Simpson". Seattle Met. Retrieved November 24, 2016.
- ^ Graves, Jen (July 10, 2013). "The Outside Artist". The Stranger. Retrieved November 24, 2016.
- ^ Ayers, Robert (July 5, 2013). "Celebrating artist Buster Simpson's 'sky's the limit' spirit". The Seattle Times. p. E23. Retrieved November 24, 2016.
- ^ Miller, Brian (July 30, 2013). "Visual Arts: Buster Simpson at the Frye". Seattle Weekly. Archived from the original on November 24, 2016. Retrieved November 24, 2016.
- ^ "Buster Simpson". www.bustersimpson.net. Retrieved 2019-02-16.
- ^ "Environmental Artist Buster Simpson Wins PAN Award". Blouin Artinfo Canada. Louise Blouin Media. June 25, 2009. Retrieved November 24, 2016.
