**Above:** Keith Simpson, _Cobalt Runner,_ 2020\. Glazed stoneware. Photo: Joseph Kramm. Courtesy of the artist and Fort Makers.
In an era of social distancing, as we retreat into the privacy of our own homes, we can’t help but plan our imminent escape. We have an irresistible urge to exist beyond the confines of our urban dwellings, or perhaps to put our faces to the wind and flee the city altogether—a luxury many automobile-dependent Californians take for granted.
As the streets of New York nearly empty due to the pandemic, we’ve witnessed from a distance the perseverance of artists to express themselves, and the determination of galleries and museums to create new platforms for the exchange of ideas. Despite shuddering its doors, one New York gallery has opened an exhibition that celebrates our escapist desires. **Fort Makers**—a design collective and artist-run concept store known for playful, immersive installations—has launched its first online exhibition and “digital drop.” Entitled **_Keith Simpson: CARS_**, the solo presentation explores the mythology of the car as an imperfect symbol of youth, freedom, and the American Dream.
**Left:** Keith Simpson, _Chartreuse Accord,_ 2020\. Glazed stoneware. Courtesy of the artist and Fort Makers. **Right Background:** Keith Simpson, _Fiesta Civic,_ 2020\. Glazed stoneware. Courtesy of the artist and Fort Makers. **Right Foreground:** Keith Simpson, _North Atlantic Mercury_, 2020. Glazed stoneware. Photo: Joseph Kramm. Courtesy of the artist and Fort Makers.
Recalling the archetypes of a particular kind of American adolescence, Simpson says, “These objects are for those that shared first kisses with brace-faced delinquents across the center consoles of dented old Hondas, or snuck to the parking lot to listen to mixtapes and smoke cigarettes during high school assemblies.”
In addition to being known for their installations, Fort Makers’ other signature is the collective’s dedication to creating elaborate editorial photoshoots for each of their projects. For _CARS_, Fort Makers has presented Simpson’s ceramic cars situated within dioramic tableaux, each sculpture positioned in front of theatrical sets constructed of hand-painted paper, all seemingly ‘hitting the road.’ The photographs are accompanied by a stop-motion animation from the same series of tableaux, a car-themes playlist, and the artist’s full collection of over 30 collectible sculptures (which range from **$200-900** in price).
**Above:** Keith Simpson, _Rose Bug,_ 2020\. Glazed stoneware. Photo: Joseph Kramm. Courtesy of the artist and Fort Makers.
“Toy cars are a staple of childhood, and one of the first sites of convergence between the ideas of mechanization and the appeal of fantasy and play,” says Fort Makers Creative Director **Nana Spears**. “In a way, Keith’s pieces—cars that don’t run, toys that can’t be played with—question that instinct. They offer a timely meditation on our tendency to project our escapist desires—from space travel to high school angst—onto objects of technology.”
**Above:** Keith Simpson, _Fiesta Civic,_ 2020\. Glazed stoneware. Photo: Joseph Kramm. Courtesy of the artist and Fort Makers.
**Above:** Keith Simpson, _Slate Celica_, 2020. Glazed stoneware. Photo: Joseph Kramm. Courtesy of the artist and Fort Makers.
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