From bustling cities to quiet rural areas, where we live often becomes a part of our identity. Artist Jeanne Simmons explores the connection between people and places–particularly natural surroundings—in her creative practice. Using natural materials like grass and flowers, she crafts handmade garments that intertwine figures with the environment, creating a physical connection that is normally only ever felt.
Originally from New England, Simmons attended the Main College of Art and Design and the School of the Art Institute of Chicago before settling in the Pacific Northwest. There, she finds constant sources of inspiration in the beaches, fields, and woods. “My time in nature sustains, stabilizes, and inspires me,” she tells My Modern Met. “With my work, I hope to describe my devotion to, and my love of, the natural world. I hope to communicate my belief that we humans are an extension of the natural world and the natural world is an extension of us.”
Simmons captures this idea in her unconventional art. Through her creations, she binds human figures to the Earth. This varies from a woman's blonde hair braided into an extended field to a meadow of wildflowers growing into a gown around a model. “I hope to describe the possibility of a harmonious relationship between us and nature, and to remind the viewer that there can be no ‘us' without ‘it,'” she adds. Through her work, Simmons also emphasizes the dangers of climate change, and our responsibility to care for the environment that we all share.
You can purchase signed limited-edition prints of Simmons' work via Saatchi Art, and keep up to date with her latest projects by following the artist on Instagram.
Artist Jeanne Simmons creates handmade garments out of natural materials.
In this way, she connects people with the environment.
