Glass Houses 12: Leslie Wilkes

by Everett Taasevigen August 19, 2009
A collage-based mixed-media work by Jamea Richmond-Edwards featuring a Black woman.
Jamea Richmond-Edwards, “Archetype of a 5 Star,” 2018, acrylic, spray paint, glitter, ink, and cut paper on canvas. Rubell Museum, Miami. © Jamea Richmond-Edwards
A work of art by Jean Wilkey featuring a faceless figure in a field holding a white flower.
Jean Wilkey
An image of an artwork that depicts a sky with feathery clouds and text that reads, ""Conseguí al rooster, Conseguí el crow, Conseguí el ebb pero no el flow."
Richard 'Ricky' Armendariz, "Conseguí al rooster, Conseguí el crow, Conseguí el ebb pero no el flow," 2006, oil on carved plywood, 48 x 72 inches.
A detail of a work in progress by Ian Gerson using found objects.
Ian Gerson, detail of a work in progress, 2024
A photograph of a quilt-like textile work by Teresa Lanceta.
Teresa Lanceta at the Meadows Museum

I’m always fascinated by how often an artist’s space resembles their art, from the space itself to the objects lying around the studio to the way its organized – or not organized. Even the way the space is lit seems reflected in an artist’s color choices. Marfa artist Leslie Wilkes is no exception. The hard-edged lines of Wilkes’ work are all around her. The blinding white walls meet a dark wooden floor and the rafters and joists of the open ceiling create their own patterns of crisp lines. On the porch, sunlight angles down and draws patterns of shadows on the deck. Wilkes has surrounded herself with the aesthetics of her paintings – lots of straight lines, revealed corners and bold swaths of white.

Currently living in Marfa, Texas, Leslie Wilkes received a BA from the University of Texas and an MFA from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. She attended Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture and was the recipient of the Milton and Sally Avery Fellowship Award at the MacDowell Colony. Wilkes is represented by Barry Whistler Gallery in Dallas.

Everett Taasevigen is a Houston photographer.

Also by Everett Taasevigen:

Glass Houses 11: Julie Speed

Glass Houses 10: Bert Long

Glass Houses 9: Steve Brudniak

Glass Houses 8: David Aylsworth

Glass Houses 7: Jill Pangallo

Glass Houses 6: Nestor Topchy

 

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