Artist Statement 2023 -Leslie Wagner

My interests in zen, archetypal psychology, nature, and dreams inform one another. My research consists of mind-body associations like sensory and present-moment awareness practices in meditation, and studying where dreams and waking correspond. Tracing my hand repetitively, memories, and metaphoric imagery, express liminal experiences. These interests bloomed further in the isolation of the pandemic beginning in 2020 and continue to unfold. My creative process is an exploration of impermanence and interconnectedness of self and community. I work in many mediums and on different surfaces.
Watercolor works on paper are made of controlled circles drawn and filled by hand, and contrast the oil works which are made by uncontrolled dispersing of paint. All of my work is informed by my meditation practices. The “Enso” is a symbol of emptiness/wholeness in zen. These oil works are made by dispersing paint with different liquids; then evaporation ensues, naturally leaving circles of residue. I then scratch and sand away like creating a palimpsest or new historical record. With these methods I explore time, disintegration and the consequences of action or non-action on the environment, human connection, and interdependence.