Long House, 2002–04
For the series Long House, 2002–04, Simmons utilized an old doll house, displayed here, that had suffered natural wear and tear over the years. She liked the derelict look of the house and placed sultry, strong, and in some instances, naked, two-dimensional women (whether from magazines or comics) into its three-dimensional settings. “I was thinking of the scenes in Long House as ‘desecrated versions’ of my early pictures.” Melodramatic and decidedly erotic, the images possess an air of mystery that connects them to film noir. The women, variously seen in power poses or languid and sexy, project a femme fatale persona. At the same time, like a bordello during off-hours, the interiors are distinctly man-free zones. In this way, the women are empowered and in control, a departure from the way figures were presented in her prior series. The vignettes feel extremely private yet have a strong voyeuristic dynamic. The women, rather than indicating the total despair of conforming to gender norms seen in the early works, exude sexual prowess.