Leslie Nolan
Leslie Nolan is a Washington DC-based painter who has actively exhibited her strong, bold artwork in the US and internationally for two decades. Raised in Oregon, she lived and worked abroad with several US Government agencies before retiring from the Department of State. Keeping secrets and operating in sometimes unstable areas around the world pervade her artwork.
During that time she absorbed the vibrant cultures and colors of the varied locales where she worked, particularly Latin America. These strong influences abound in Nolan’s sophisticated, dynamic painting style.
She studied at the University of Madrid in Spain and holds degrees from George Washington University, National Defense University, and Portland State University.
Known for gestural, lively brushwork, vivid hues, and a propensity for injecting emotional confusion into her paintings, Nolan has been concentrating on the human figure the past few years, working from her Virginia studio.
ARTIST STATEMENT
Different realities enliven this special exhibition of figurative paintings. Much like modern life itself, the canvases of Divergent Impulses tell multiple stories, unique to the individual portrayed. Through color, body language, and texture, I encourage you to imagine the risk taker, the cool guy, the show off, the shy, worried person, the subversive, the unpredictable rogue or the radical.
Like all my figuration, these paintings blur the real with the imagined as they focus on emotions and impulses of the moment. Using vibrant color, thick paint and energetic brushwork, I try to convey before, during and after the social distancing imposed by health concerns.
The way people react to these and other awkward situations varies with the moment and their own proclivities. And, the viewer interjects his or her own history in reacting to both the image and situation. There is no perfect answer to the question of how to respond. Life remains changeable and ever interesting.
As for my art-making processes, I usually begin with a simple sketch or outline of a person in charcoal on the canvas, then select a simple color palette to accentuate the emotion of the pose. Painting with acrylics and large tools from the hardware store aids in avoiding getting bogged down in detail. Likewise, exaggeration, distortion, and simplification of the figure ensure an original take on modern life, ending up with something I’ve never seen before.
Why do I paint figures? Because are people are infinitely interesting and complex. They generate the inspiration and impetus for my art.
I like the paintings to suggest controlled chaos, as if something important has just happened. I imagine the individual as reacting to money or job-related issues, loneliness, semi-stable environments, familial concerns, or some other life-changing event. Whatever the cause or situation, each artwork tries to depict the fragility of life. Filled with ambiguity, the paintings invite the viewer to make a personal interpretation.