Leslie Harris
Artist Statement
The universe calls me to see its wonders. In my abstract paintings and mixed media works, I answer its call, following my imagination to search for the wonders that often elude our gaze. I cannot lead my imagination to a place of wonder. It will only rebel and demand to lead the way. It is difficult to tame. With each new work, I embark on a journey without a ticket. I am a time traveler in a galaxy thousands of light years away, an archeologist digging through an ancient ruin, the glow of an iridescent creature in the deepest reach of the ocean. I am often surprised where my imagination has led me. My work is deeply layered, and when I cover and uncover and dig deep below the surface, I find lost worlds, ruins, artifacts,, memories, visions, wisdom, joy and magic. I find wonder.As our world becomes increasingly fragile, I hope those who view my work see the wonder in the world with new eyes and answer its call.
My process is messy and experimental. I begin a work with only a glimpse of a destination in mind and allow the process to lead me on a journey. I most often work on wood panel, first with several layers of acrylic and then oil, pigment and cold wax. I make marks at every level, revealing parts of the work by scraping , sanding or adding more wax to make the layer transparent. I use wax paper, foil or textured papers as collage element or a tool for mark making. I “ print” the texture of the fibers of the paper onto the work with a brayer, leaving patterns that reveal the layers below and that illuminate and comment on my discoveries.
My work is reflects my values, lived experiences and beliefs. I am informed by my life's work as an advocate for civil liberties and human rights, my deep connection to the natural world and my global travels. Standing against forgetting, speaking truth and repairing our broken and divided world is at the center of my art. .
Biography
I had a long and rewarding career as human rights and civil liberties lawyer before turning back to art a decade ago. For many years, I was a member of a studio painting group at the Corcoran College of Art and Design . I have participated in workshops and classes in drawing, painting, mixed media, encaustic, printing and more at the Yellow Barn at Glen Echo, the Provincetown Art Association Museum , the Truro Center for the Arts at Castle Hill ,the Alexandria Art League, Pyramid Atlantic, the Smithsonian, The Taos School of Art, among others. My work has been shown in galleries and other venues in the Washington DC area and on Cape Cod,. I am a member of the E Street Artists and a founder and board member of Chevy Chase Art, a community arts organization, which- among other things- sponsors an annual Art Walk in Chevy Chase DC/MD.
Exhibits
National Women’s Democratic Club- - Solo Exhibit " The River of My Imagination” May 31-September 3, 2024.
The Hill Center at the Old Naval Hospital- Annual Juried Exhibit. Selected Works- “In the Tangle of the Ocean & “ Daughter of the Sea.” January-April 2024.
Watergate Gallery- Invited participant “Folded Dreams.” Selected Work-”Dreaming in Blue.” December 2023-February 2024.
Goldman Gallery- Rockville JCC., Invited participant “Radically Amazed”. Featured Works- “The Blue Shore of Silence” and “ Sea Jewels”. March, 2023.
Cape Cod Cultural Center- Juried exhibit” Hispanic and Latinx \Heritage”- .Featured 3d work-” The Fridas Go Round and Round.”” October -November, 2023.
Hera Hub- Invited participant in three-person exhibit - “ Unearthed.” Multiple Works. June-September 2021.
DC Women’s Caucus for Art- Juried Exhibit ” Looking for America.” Featured works: “ “ All that Glitters” & “ All I Find is Rage.” March 8-May 2021.
Ch/Art- Virtual Juried Exhibit- “We Begin Again” Featured work “There May be Spring Again.” February, 2021.
National Women's Democratic Club- Group Exhibit E Street Artist “. Climate Change through a Personal Lens”. Featured work- "Elegy for the Vanishing Birds."-December 2020- February 2021.
Touchstone Gallery- Spotlight- Virtual exhibit. Featured work “ At the Water’s Edge.” December, 2021.
Cape Cod Cultural Center- Juried International Abstract Exhibit Featured Works- " All that Glitters", "Reclaim the Battle Space" & "Chaos at the Edge of the Ocean." October-November 2020.
Loudon Film and Art Festival- Invited artist-Featured Work, "At the Water's Edge." September, 2020.
Yellow Barn at Glen Echo- Juried Members Show, Featured work- “When the World Comes Apart.” December,2019.
Chilean Embassy- - Building Community on Climate Change Featured Work,” Elegy for the Vanishing Birds.” November 2019.
Chevy Chase Art- Juried Exhibit- Featured works “ Chaos at the Edge of the Ocean”, “ When the World Comes Apart”. February, 2019.
Watergate Gallery- E Street Artists “ Unleashed-- Featured multiple works from the Sky Maps Series. March, 2019.
The Little Women Collaborative Altered Book Project - Group exhibit of Altered Book pages at the Sycamore Gallery, Decatur Georgia, October 2018.
Chevy Chase Art - Inaugural exhibit- Featured work “Beneath the Broken World.”April - May 2018.
Watergate Gallery- Glimpse:- Group exhibit - Featured work “Float Away.” December-January 2017.
Yellow Barn Gallery: Conjurers Five - Group exhibit -Multiple Works - March 2017.
Writers Center, Bethesda- Ekphrasis - Group exhibit of paired artists and poets, Featured work- “Plea for Calm Waters.” February – April 2016.
Corcoran School of Art and Design- : E Street Artists” Passing Through. Featured works- “ Sutra for a Lost World“ and “ Early Morning Tak Bat.,January-February 2016.
Watergate Gallery: E Street Artists: Painters 12 X 12 - Group exhibit at the Watergate Gallery, Featured works “ Angkor Thom” and “- Early Morning Tak Bat .” May, 2015.
