Tommy Simpson almost singlehandedly changed the direction of the Studio Furniture field which began as all about wood and technique.
Trained as an artist at the Cranbrook Academy of Art, Tommy saw the possibilities of actually decorating furniture. Over his prolific 60-year career he exhibited at more than 250 museum, private galleries, and other venues both in the United States and abroad including the Renwick Gallery, the Fuller Craft Museum, the American Craft Museum, and the Museum of Fine Arts Boston to name but a few. His work is found in virtually all the major craft museums in the country.
Despite the influence of his work and his prodigious output there is no comprehensive biography or catalog of his work. Most of his exhibitions were accompanied by catalogs, press releases and newspaper coverage, but they focused on only a small sample of his work.It was more than just furniture. He also did paintings, sculpture, rug design, domestic interiors and whatever a friend or client wanted – ceramics, jewelry, toys, even a stamp for the U.S. Post Office. Bringing all these formats together in one volume will appeal not only to studio furniture aficionados but also to readers interested in painting, furniture making and all his other pursuits.
But these were only snippets of his output. His life and work in all the different media need to be brought together and documented in one volume so that the world can appreciate his revolutionary contribution to the field of both furniture and art. Historians of the Studio Furniture movement will learn the major role this seminal artist and craftsman played in moving the field forward to a more creative mode. The numerous collectors and museums (both their curators and visitors) that displayed his work will expand their appreciation and enrich their understanding of his creations. This full-color book with over 200 photographs of Simpson's work will appeal not only to the hundreds of student and practicing artists and furniture makers, but also to the countless collectors of his work, to the many museums that display his creations and to anyone who wants to savor his humor; whimsey, surprise, wonder, enchantment and the pure joy of his work.