The work included in "First Light," on view January 26 - February 29, 2014, presents a survey of Simpson’s famous interference paintings from the past 30 years. Using a unique method of combining acrylic pigment with interference paints containing micro-particles of iridescent mica – Simpson painstakingly applies layer upon layer upon layer of translucent paint to the canvas. The painted surface becomes a three-dimensional space where light enters and has room to move – shimmering, reflecting, and refracting off these interference particles. It is this depth and chance interaction of light and particle that causes the signature color shifts that Simpson’s work is known for.
