Singer
Artist Statement
Leslie explores the intersectionality of politics, history, religion, and fashion and celebrates women who, during the worst of times, dance through cultural and personal upheavals with grace, beauty, and strength.
I see fashion not from a fashion designer’s perspective but from an anthropological
one. I look at materialistic tribalism, such as “sagging,” in which men wear the waistline
of their pants considerably lower than their own waist. I observe the purchase of
ripped jeans, sold for thousands of dollars, or conversely, ten dollars, even though they
were made by the same process and material. In addition, I think about the reason we
want torn clothes to begin with. I view these as cultural phenomena. And I consider how
fashion played such a prominent role during World War II, from Hugo Boss’s expertly
tailored SS uniforms to the simple pocket that was coveted in concentration camps to the fact that spies could be compromised if their wardrobes weren’t indigenous to their locale.
Today, when I frequent vintage clothing shops, I always wonder about the experiences, memories, and stories of each piece. When we purchase it, does its energy die? Or do we wear one another’s histories?
I consider how, as Barthes points out, our clothes are a form of code. It defines our station in life and hints at economic status or hides it.
Clothes hold a spectrum of sociopolitical significance in culture, and these ideas drive
my studio and teaching practice.
Education
Parsons School of Design, BFA
Vermont College of Fine Arts, MFA
Exhibitions
Solo
2023
Still River Editions, Danbury, CT
Group
2021
Upstream Gallery, Hastings on Hudson, NY
2021
The Art Center, Dover, NH
2021
The Oculus, Westfield World Trade Center, NYC
2021
Ely Center of Contemporary Art, New Haven, CT
2021
Las Laguna Gallery, Laguna Beach, CA