Collection: A Suspension Of Disbelief: Works by Randy Simmons

Quarterly Exhibition in the First Floor Gallery

Opening Reception Friday, Sept. 4^th 5-8pm

ON VIEW: Sept 4 - Nov 28

I create large-scale narrative charcoal drawings on toned Rising Stonehenge paper, presented in black wood frames behind plexiglass. My materials include charcoal pencils of varying softness, white pastel, conté, tissue, erasers, and raw charcoal, but my most essential tools are my hands. The physicality of my process is direct and immersive—I am certain that traces of me are all over the surface of each drawing. 

My work has evolved from deeply personal origins. Following my mother’s decline into dementia and her death in 2022, I began by documenting grief, family dynamics, and fragmented childhood memory. These themes have since expanded into ambiguous, children’s book-like narratives infused with a subtle science fiction sensibility. Alongside this body of work, I maintain a parallel series responding to experiences of personal violence, rooted in recent assaults by an estranged partner. Across both threads, recurring circular forms and moments of optical distortion emerge, introducing a quiet surrealism that destabilizes otherwise familiar scenes. 

Writing has become an integral extension of my practice. Each drawing is accompanied by a printed narrative that reflects on its making, often shared through my blog. Titles may arise spontaneously, arrive at the conclusion of a piece, or, in rarer instances, initiate the work itself. 

My process has loosened over time. Rather than working from a fixed plan, I begin with a figure and an indistinct emotional impulse. Each studio session responds to the last, allowing the image to unfold intuitively and often unpredictably. 

I draw inspiration from artists such as Michelangelo, Caravaggio, John Everett Millais, Thomas Eakins, Chuck Close, Frida Kahlo, as well as contemporary painters including John Currin, Paul Fenniak, and Ethan Murrow. My approach to realism draws from Italian and Southern Baroque traditions, using dramatic contrasts of light and shadow to heighten psychological intensity. At times, I reference or reinterpret specific Old Master drawings. Figures may be deliberately distorted to emphasize spatial tension and evoke the immediacy of close-range photography. 

I have a BFA in Painting, 1988, an MA in Drawing, 1991, both degrees from Murray State University. I also have an MFA in Drawing, 1995, minor in Printmaking, from the University of Cincinnati. I began drawing as a child, like most artists, and didn’t take it seriously until I took a freshman drawing class at Murray for fun. In the summers of 1986 and 1988, I toured Great Britain, Scotland, Wales, and Ireland in a student study abroad program based in London. My main medium is charcoal, but I enjoy graphite pencils, conté, pastels, and printmaking in general. Photography and creating short films have peaked my interest recently. It's easy to say my two sons and granddaughter inspire me too.

Currently, I am a Professor of Art at the Paducah School of Art and Design teaching Drawing I, II, Life Drawing, Introduction to Art, and Survival Skills for the Artist (Portfolio Development) and Gallery Director for the Bill Ford Gallery and PJC Gallery. I have been a recipient of two Kentucky Arts Council Grants in 2005 and 2007. During the summer months, I teach photography and drawing for the Kentucky Institute for International Studies and have visited Costa Rica, Panama, Italy, Paris and most of Europe.