“An analogy between art and geophysics might be surprising at first, but in viewing and thinking about the art of Gary Simpson, I have found the metaphors suggested by the science of plate tectonics to be enlightening. I also believe that they point us in a direction that the artist himself is traveling. For these reasons, I dare to present some points of comparison here and hope that, in the end, the analogy may not seem so strange to you either.

”The very first thing about Gary Simpson’s artwork that hints of geology is his unique medium, cement, which quite literally is made from the rock of the earth. When this earth extract is reconstituted with water, and sand, color, and other materials are added, the medium is thick and heavy. It is simply not possible to apply it in small daubs or move it around on the "canvas" with a fine-tipped brush. The cement is first poured onto the substrate, and the moved with a trowel. The strokes are necessarily broad, the movement of the massive material in the pouring and the trowelling give the works an energy and impression (made on them and by the) of force and power. Once a piece has been composed and the cement begins to set, there is no going back to retouch. The energy that has gone into the creation is set in the material, a solidified motion or tension as in pre-stressed concrete. As in geological formations, the forces that created them are evident.”

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