80s Baby

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80s Baby ⏤

About

The consumer culture of the 1980s undoubtedly made our current moment possible. Right now, though we may not realize it, we are living out the consequences of decisions and events from 40 years ago.

Be one measure, the 1980s were arguably a more innocent time. It was the last decade before the explosion of the internet and online media, but the 80s look good in retrospect because we had privacy with the ability to connect in a way that fostered a shared sense of community.

Half the country was watching the same TV shows or concerts at the same time - so what’s missed is not so much the culture, but a sense of shared experience. This is in stark opposition to our cultural landscape today, which is proliferated with overshared intimacies and opinions. 

The idea that money was good and made you a good person also started in the 80s, ultimately not leading us to Trump…but to a culture that could give rise to Trump, because of the value of celebrity.

All of the great TV shows from the 80s were about excess, so pushing the limits became comfortable - if not the norm.Simmons’ “80’s Baby” paintings expertly captures the visual chaos reminiscent of our current digital age, where fragmented images compete for our attention and obstruct one another, mirroring our own struggles to find clarity amidst the noise.

She highlights the influence of affluence, training a lens on subjects that reveals the imbrication of risk and desire, the banality of commodity fetishism, the dissatisfaction wrought by overconsumption, and the homogeneity of luxury caused by global advertising.

Get Out of My Dreams, Get Into My Car

Close-up of an oil painting of a red bikini top and bottom laid on top of the break lights of a black Volvo.
Oil painting of a bikini top and bottom draped across the trunk of a vintage Volvo in a black frame above a lounge chair.

So Tired, So Wired

On a wall next to an elevator bank, a large oil painting is displayed depicting various 1980s scenes and vignettes in bold tones.
A collage style oil painting with images of a cherry pepsi can, cherries, a jaguar car next to a private plane, three casio watches, sky-scrapers, lipstick tubes, and a woman's cleavage coming out of a blue zip top.

I Love You With My Bronco

Closeup oil painting of a red bronco next to a woman from the nose down applying 3 tubes of bright red lipstick on her lips.
A 28-panel oil painting of 2 red vignette collages, one features a bronco and the other a women's face below the nose where she is applying multiple shiny lipsticks with her red nails hanving above a wooden console.

I’m Going to Open Your Account

A 24 panel oil painting depicting realistic vignettes including a woman with red lips drinking from a glass of ice with an orange slice, a woman's hand with red nails holding a gold credit card, 2 men and a woman in a red suit sitting in a conference
A 25 panel oil painting featuring photorealistic images of a credit card, woman with red lips drinking from a glass with ice cubes and an orange slice, a woman jumping in a pool, and 3 people meeting in a board room hanging against a white wall.

How’s Your Aspen?

Closeup of an oil painting in progress of champagne, a man skiing on a woman's body, and a vintage car.
An oil painting depicting multiple 80's inspired advertisements hanging in a lobby reception area.

Back to Our Future

Collage of 9 brighlty colored oil paintings assembled to depict different scenes of the 1980's hung on a blue wall.
A large 9 panel oil painting of different 1980s ads collaged together hung above a white couch.