Erika Iris Simmons, who also goes by the name iri5, is a self-taught American artist who turns old cassette tapes, VHS tapes, and film reels into detailed portraits of musicians and film icons. She is based in Atlanta, Georgia, and her work has shown internationally.
Erika Iris Simmons at a glance
- Nationality: American
- Based in: Atlanta, Georgia
- Medium: Mixed media using cassette tape, VHS tape and film reels
- Known for: The “Ghost in the Machine” series, portraits of musicians and film icons made from obsolete media
- Signature work: The official artwork for the 55th Grammy Awards (2013), a gramophone built from unspooled recording tape
- Subjects: Jimi Hendrix, Marilyn Monroe, David Bowie, Amy Winehouse
- Exhibitions: Shown at VH1’s headquarters in Times Square and in galleries worldwide
- Official website: erikairis.com
She creates each portrait by hand, weaving and layering magnetic tape into faces that seem to glow. The material carries its own nostalgia, bringing back memories of mixtapes and late-night recordings, while the art itself raises a quieter question about consumerism and how quickly we throw things away. Her best-known series, “Ghost in the Machine,” builds portraits of musicians out of cassette tape, and in 2013 she was chosen to create the official artwork for the Grammy Awards, a gramophone built entirely from unspooled studio recording tape. Colossal has a great feature on her work.
What makes her work resonate is how she gives new life to forgotten objects: a broken VHS tape becomes David Bowie’s eye, a tangled cassette becomes Amy Winehouse’s beehive. The pieces invite a kind of reflection on cultural memory, on the things we hold onto and the things we let go. For more of her work, see her Saatchi Art profile.
A portrait built from magnetic cassette tape, part of her “Ghost in the Machine” series. A musician’s face rendered entirely in looped and layered cassette tape. A portrait pieced together from unspooled VHS tape. Strips of old film reel arranged into a human face. A rock-era musician reassembled from the tape that once recorded their music. A close-up view of the fine, looping detail in one of her cassette tape portraits. A film icon’s portrait built from salvaged tape and film reel. Recycled cassette and film materials combine to form a detailed portrait. A singer’s likeness formed from unwound cassette tape ribbon. Layers of tape build up shadow and light across the face. VHS ribbon pulled from its casing and shaped into a portrait. One of her portraits of a well-known musician or film icon, built entirely from obsolete media. The coiled tape doubles as hair and texture in this portrait. A featured portrait from her cassette tape and film reel series. A guitar legend reimagined in looped cassette tape. Built from cassette tape sourced from thrift stores, a recurring material in her work. A piece in the same spirit as the official Grammy Awards artwork she created from recording tape. A closing piece in the gallery, built using the same recycled-media technique throughout her work.
What materials does Erika Iris Simmons use?
She works mainly with cassette tape, VHS tape, and old film reels, pulling the magnetic tape out of its casing and arranging it by hand into faces and portraits.
What is she best known for?
Her best-known series, “Ghost in the Machine,” turns cassette tape into portraits of musicians, and in 2013 she created the official artwork for the Grammy Awards, a gramophone built entirely from unspooled recording tape.
Where can you see her work?
Her work has been shown at VH1’s headquarters in New York and is featured on her official site, erikairis.com, and on her Saatchi Art profile.