John F. Simon, Jr., Map.Globe.com
Is all work made in Louisiana subject to the "Folk Art" stereotype? The tired language of outsider artists and naive painters seems to linger simply due to apathy, if not laziness, surrounding regional art history. Dusty visual vocabularies usually leave out people like John F. Simon, Jr. who is from the Alexandria area. In addition to drawing, his work incorporates generative systems and artist-authored software. Internet art by Simon is among the first commissioned for the Guggenheim Museum's permanent collection.
Ultimate creativity is borderless. Of course Simon had already left the South, as do many talented people, before creating his best-known artworks, Every Icon (1997) and Unfolding Object (2001). Moving away from Louisiana does not discredit one's connection to its history. If anything, successes away from "home" further emphasize a cultural triumph that overcomes regional economic depression. The accomplishments of Keith Sonnier, Lynda Benglis, C.C. Lockwood, Chandra McCormick, Keith Calhoun, and Steven Soderbergh are part of a diverse contemporary dialogue. Their influence is felt in work by artists of the Gulf Coast and abroad.
by Laura Blereau
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