Lorna Simpson talks to Ben Luke about her influences—from writers to musicians and, of course, other artists—and the cultural experiences that have shaped her life and work

With the city’s art world roaring back to life for The Armory Show, gallery parties and special programmes filled the days and nights, from a Lorna Simpson talk at Hauser & Wirth to a video art screening at Quad Cinema

“This moment is a hard one. It’s definitely going to be difficult to get through,” the artist says

Responding to current issues in a surreally faux-New York setting