Star-studded work from Simpson, whose instincts also led to success in jewelry design, is assembled in a new photo book
Coreen Simpson carved her own path to success – she never waited for anyone to hand her an opportunity. In her 1978 portrait of Toni Morrison, the author gazes directly into the camera with a striking expression that holds the viewer’s eyes fixed on hers.
A shadow fills the space between Morrison and the world, compelling the audience to reckon with her presence. The cigarette held effortlessly in Morrison’s left hand is a gesture to her power and influence as a literary giant. The image captures the essence of Simpson’s photography, seamlessly revealing the nature of her subjects while commanding their presence in the world.
When working at the Studio Museum in Harlem as an assistant curator, Simpson set up an unofficial photography studio in her office and assigned herself the task of photographing artists, such as Morrison, who came to visit the museum.
“I made up this whole thing, ‘I’m Coreen Simpson, and I would like to do an official portrait of you,’” she says. “Toni Morrison was smoking a cigarette when she came in, and so she said, ‘Oh, let me put the cigarette out.’ And I told her, ‘But it looks so glamorous with the cigarette. This is you. Allow me to take the picture.’”
