Lily Simonson works in tandem with researchers at remote field sites to create larger-than-life paintings of extraordinary organisms and extreme environments–from the deep sea to Antarctica. Enveloping viewers in dramatic, atmospheric scenes, her work evokes the immersive experience of exploration.
This expedition aboard the R/V Falkor marks Simonson’s sixth deep sea research cruise, having embedded as an Artist at Sea on the E/V Nautilus and R/Vs Melville and Atlantis. As the 2014-15 NSF Antarctic Artists and Writers Program Awardee, Simonson spent three months camping and scuba diving beneath the sea ice in Antarctica.
Simonson’s current solo exhibition Lily Simonson: Painting the Deep will be on view at the Harvard Museum of Natural History until June 30, 2019. Her paintings have been exhibited throughout the US and Europe and her work has appeared in a range of media outlets, including Interview Magazine, MTV, Atlas Obscuara, Pacific Standard, the Los Angeles Times, and LA Weekly. Simonson holds a BA from UC Berkeley and an MFA in Painting from UCLA. She has taught painting and drawing at Cal Poly Pomona and UC Berkeley. To view more of her work, visit lilysimonson.com and oldgenres.com.
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