TALISWOMAN

Most often in modern media women are used to sell something not related to their autonomy - in other words, a product or an idea / ideal. Most ads showcase items that are meant to make you more desirable - so womanhood is defined in our culture as something intangible yet consumable. In particular with jewelry, women are all too often advertised as objects of desire, going to great lengths to adorn themselves with embellishments - they often end up becoming the accessory or being taken over by whatever is being advertised. 

Simmons wanted to create imagery with the inverse effect – representing the zeitgeist of millennials and working women today. She posed for these images along with 3 of her closest peers who work in different industries (finance, medicine, and government) to model jewelry by Larkspur + Hawk, founded by female designer Emily Satloff. Talis“woman” is an intentional wordplay on the word “talisman” – an object typically inscribed ring or stone, that is thought to have magic powers and bring good luck. Since jewelry is primarily worn by women, Simmons felt it appropriate to adjust the genderization of the term accordingly for this series to further underline her message. 


Simmons also used this series to explore her interest in areas of luxury culture that academic art institutions usually scoff at – such as beauty, fashion, cosmetics, and humor. The paradox of this mindset is that these industries are often the only places women are able to exert power, yet they can be simultaneously dysmorphic and destructive. By using the female body as a mechanism to explore deeper themes of female representation, fetishism and objectification in an ironic yet iconic way, “Taliswoman” embodies the very paradox Simmons is trying to explore. 

Artwork of a woman's jeweled hand holding a spray paint can with a thought bubble reading "Just a masterpiece trying to master peace" on a pink background littered with paint tubes.

“Just a masterpiece, trying to master peace.”

DIMENSIONS: 30(h) x 40(w)
MEDIUM: Original Hand-Pulled Silkscreen, Mixed Media and Photograph with Diamond Dust; One of a Kind
YEAR: 2018

Pop-art inspired mixed media screenprint of a black and white woman surronded by paint tubes on a pink background with diamond dust details hanging above a desk.
Framed silkscreen with mixed media artwork of woman with jewelry and spray paint against a pink halftone background hung above a baby's crib.
Pop style photographic artwork in pink, black and white by Kristin Simmons hanging in a white frame between two sconces on a blue wall.
Screenprint of a woman in black and white against a pink background holding a spray paint can framed above a blue couch.
Orginal screenprint featuring Kristin Simmons sitting against a background with multiple paint tubes surrounding her hung above a yellow couch.
A mixed media artwork by Kristin Simmons of her spraypainting that is framed against a blue wall.
Framed artpiece of a woman wearing large jewled bracelets holding a spray paint can on a pink background above a green couch.
Mixed-media artpiece of a woman wearing Larkspur + Hawk jewelry holding a spraypaint can on a pink background hung in a black frame above a chair.
Framed screenprint of a woman in black spraying a spray paint canaster with text reading "just a masterpiece trying to master peace" hung above a white chair.
Pastel pink room with fashion-editorial artwork of Kristin Simmons wearing sparkly jewelry and holding a spray paint can.
Artwork of woman holding a spray paint can against a pink background framed above a navy blue bed.
Artwork with woman with thought bubble that reads "Just a masterpiece trying to find Master Peace" hanging above a bathtub.
Art piece of a woman's hand and spray paint can with a witty caption framed above a fireplace.
Framed artwork in a modern dining room, depicting hands adorned with jewelry holding a spray can, set against a pink background with the phrase 'Just a masterpiece trying to master peace.' Below the artwork, a white round table is flanked by two plus
White framed pop style screenprint of a woman holding a spray paint can against a pink background hanging on a black wall above a chair.

"I’m not a full-on psycho. I’m like a low - to medium - low psycho. A simmering psycho”

Orginal mixed media silkscreen of a woman's hands holding a walkie-talkie beside a pair of handcuffs with text reading "I'm not a full on psycho. I'm like a low to medium-low pscyho. A simmering pscyho"

DIMENSIONS: 30(h) x 40(w)
MEDIUM: Original Hand-Pulled Silkscreen, Mixed Media and Photograph with Diamond Dust; One of a Kind
YEAR: 2018

Pop style artwork of a woman's hands in black and white with colorful diamond dust jewelry against a blue background in a black frame above an orange couch.
Framed diamond dust silkscreen hung on a white wall next to a cabinet of a woman's hand wearing bracelets and rings holding a walkie talkie in one hand on a blue background.
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Framed diamond dust silkscreen hung on a white wall next to a cabinet of a woman's hand wearing bracelets and rings holding a walkie talkie in one hand on a blue background.
Framed art piece of a two hands above a speech bubble reading "I'm not a full-on psycho. I'm like a low to medium-low psycho. A simmering psycho" hung above a bed.
Framed artwork above a desk with a computer of a woman's hands wearing Larkspur + Hawk jewlery and the text "BOSS" on her finger nails holding a walkie talkie.
A mixed-media artwork of a woman from the nose down wearing a red mask and sparkly jewelry with a thought bubble reading "It's Better To Arrive Late, Than To Arrive Ugly."

“It’s better to arrive late, than to arrive ugly.”

DIMENSIONS: 40(h) x 30(w)
MEDIUM: Original Hand-Pulled Silkscreen, Mixed Media and Photograph with Diamond Dust; One of a Kind
YEAR: 2018

Mixed media artwork of a woman wearing a red mask and large jewels on a maroon background hung above a couch.
Black and white portrait with a text bubble coming from a woman wearing sparkly jewelry with a mask against a purple background framed on a wall between two windows.
Framed mixed media artwork of a woman from the neck up wearing three large necklaces and a mask with a cartoon text bubble coming out of her head.
Elegant living room featuring a large framed artwork of a woman with a red face mask with the quote 'It's better to arrive late, than to arrive ugly.'
Mixed media diamond dust artwork of black and white portrait of a woman in a mask with colored diamond dust jewelry hanging above a couch.
Mixed media screenprint of a woman in black and white wearing diamond dust jewelry hanging above a desk.
Framed artwork: woman with red face mask and quote 'It's better to arrive late than to arrive ugly', in a luxe ocean-view bathroom.
Framed artwork on a concrete wall, portraying a woman with a red mask and decorative necklaces, accompanied by the quote 'It's better to arrive late than to arrive ugly'. Room features include hanging pendant lights, a wooden cabinet, and a modern ch
Framed artwork hanging near a bar counter of a woman wearing a mask with sparkly jewelry.
Artwork in a white frame displaying a woman in a red mask and shimmering necklaces, with a quote 'It's better to arrive late than to arrive ugly'. Positioned in a room with a beige armchair and side table nearby.
Artwork above entryway table of woman from the neck down with a text bubble reading "It's better to arrive late, than to arrive ugly."
Framed art print of a woman from the nose down wearing jewelry with text "It's better to arrive late, than to arrive ugly" against a purple background hanging above pastel purple chairs.
Framed portrait of a woman with jewelry and mask above a bathtub with text bubble "It's better to arrive late, than to arrive ugly."
Framed artwork in a serene living room featuring a close-up image of a woman wearing a red mask and beaded necklace, with a speech bubble stating 'It's better to arrive late, than to arrive ugly'
Artwork of a woman with a red facemask, necklaces, and a speech bubble saying 'It's better to arrive late than to arrive ugly', displayed in a modern room setting.
Mixed media artwork of a woman wearing a mask in metallic jewelry with a thought bubble reading "It's Better to Arrive Late, Than to Arrive Ugly" above a yellow chair.
Mixed media artwork of a woman's in a black and white wearing a houndstooth blazer and in Larkspur + Hawk necklaces with a thought bubble reading “Husbands are like therapists, the first one is never the right one.”

“Husbands are like therapists, the first one is never the right one.”

DIMENSIONS: 30(h) x 40(w)
MEDIUM: Original Hand-Pulled Silkscreen, Mixed Media and Photograph with Diamond Dust; One of a Kind
YEAR: 2018

A pop-art-inspired artwork of a woman in a blazer with dark hair and a thought bubble reading “Husbands are like therapists, the first one is never the right one” hung on a gray wall.
Framed mixed media artwork of a woman in black and white with diamond dust jewelry hanging on a green wall.
Photograph of a woman from the neck down with a thought bubble and diamond dust jewelry against a red backdrop in a black frame hanging above a desk with a laptop.
Interior dining room with framed artwork depicting a black and white close-up image of a person wearing a checkered blazer and adorned with jewelry, featuring a red speech bubble with text.
An orginal screenprint by artist Kristin Simmons featuring a woman from the head down wearing large jewels and a black and white blazer hung above a table and chairs.
Screenprint of a woman wearing gold and silver jewelry framed above a table with two chairs.
Framed monochrome artwork in a green study of a woman in a houndstooth jacket adorned with jewelry, featuring a speech bubble: 'Husbands are like therapists: the first one is never the right one'.
taliswoman-husbands-therapists-kristin-simmons-environment4.jpeg
Framed artwork of woman from the neck down wearing metallic jewelry enhanced with diamond dust hanging above a blue couch.
Diamond dust embellished screenprint of a woman in a black and white blazer wearing metallic jewelry against a red background hanging above two red chairs.
Screenprint of a black and white woman from the head down wearing large necklaces, bracelets, and rings against a red background hung above a desk.
woman from the neck down wearing a black leather dress with handcuffs around her waste holding a baton with a thought bubble that reads “I’m no longer dating. If you’re interested in me I need a 500 word essay on how you will not waste my time.”

“I’m no longer dating. If you’re interested in me I need a 500 word essay on how you will not waste my time.”

DIMENSIONS: 40(h) x 30(w)
MEDIUM: Original Hand-Pulled Silkscreen, Mixed Media and Photograph with Diamond Dust; One of a Kind
YEAR: 2018

Editorial-style screenprint framed above a bathtub of a woman from the neck down wearing leather, handcuffs and jewelry.
Screenprint of a dominatrix style woman with handcuffs and sparkly jewelry framed on a yellow wall.
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Framed artwork of a woman in black and white with sparkling jewelry hanging above a yellow chair.
Framed screenprint artwork of an undercover female FBI agent with handcuffs and jewelry on blue background
A framed black and white portrait hanging in a bathroom depiciting a woman against a blue backdrop from the neck down in a leather dress with handcuffs and sparkly jewelry, and a thought bubble that says, "I'm no longer dating, if you're interested i
Fashion editorial style portrait of a woman in a leather dress against a blue background with Larkspur + Hawk jewelry in a frame above a wood table and chair.
Two framed, mixed media artworks by artist Kristin Simmons on display at a gallery in Chelsea, New York City.