The Art of Gregg Simpson: Terra Firma Series 1980

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Terra Firma Series 1980
Read About the Series

           The paintings and drawings in the 1980 Terra Firma series were the first group of paintings made by Simpson following
         his 1970's neo-surrealist period. During that time (1971-1979), Simpson had made several steps towards abstraction in
         the use of certain image provoking techniques pioneered by the surrealist painters such as grattage, decalcomania,
         frottage and fumage.

These techniques included frottage, grattage, decalcomania, and fumage.The Terra Firma works utilize "ecoulage" or
pouring paint directly on the canvas, followed by more meticulous overpainting.The accompanying charcoal drawings, like the paintings, used small iconic objects or figures embedded in an abstract landscape or ground.