Leslie Lyman :: Artist Statement

I create intimate impressions that mark and remember what history fails to tell us about the everyday lives of women – the daily efforts, the steady presence, the invisible toil, the love and the loss. My objects and settings stand in perpetual tribute to this caregiving – women’s work – that persists through generations. I use photography and sculptural installation to capture images that hold memory and the ghosts of memory. My work deliberately blends old and new, fully aware that there are stories embedded deep within these objects and knowing that recollection, sentiment, intention and attention are passed on to the lives
of other women.

Coping: Petal Portrait Series

I find immense beauty in the entire lifecycle of a flower. I am drawn, most especially, to its later stages – the softened petal, the deflated structure, the discoloration, the broken edge, the dried petals and stems. The evolution of a flower is a daily engagement. These portraits, on much used platters, plates and bowls, tell stories of use and repair, appreciation and acknowledgement, wisdom and experience, close observation and extended grace. Creating this work, during this time, is a steady comfort – lingering bits of perseverance.