LESLIE PETERSON SAPP
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Pursuit

2/17/2022

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She glances out the back window at a waiting yellow taxi. Who is it that pursues her and why?

©lesliepetersonsapp Pursuit 24x48
Scenes of women in trouble is very touchy. I do not want to perpetuate stereotypes of helplessness. I always want to make it seem like she has agency. Though there may be danger, you get the feeling she has a good chance of pulling through and landing on her feet!

This is a piece that went through many changes. Originally I had multiple people in the street scene as if there where a bunch of people milling around. But as things developed I could see the figures were just a distraction from the real drama. I even considered taking out the figure near the door and just leaving the car- I still don’t know if I made the right choice. Don’t be surprised if you see another version of this one. (I often feel compelled to do certain images again and again.) 

This one was just really fun. I loved working with the street light creating a cone of a lighter color. The back window of her vehicle creates a frame within a frame, and the dark color flows into her silhouetted profile and the buildings on the street. I tried to make a contrast with the bright yellow, the cool watercolor blues, and the flat dark brown/black.

Keep your eye open for a woodcut version of this piece!


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Incognito

12/9/2021

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©lesliepetersonsapp Incogito 10x8 Acrylic on panel
A voluptuous, glamorous woman leans against the doorframe, silhouetted by the bathroom light. Over her shoulder we see, hanging on the shower curtain rod, a maid’s uniform. 

In conversation about classic film noir, a common subject is that actors and actresses of color were relegated into narrow stereotyped roles, often as domestic servants of white protagonists. But of course, this didn’t just happen in the movies, it happened in real life, too. African Americans had limited opportunities and were often employed as domestics in white households. What individuality was denied or hidden?


I see a dynamic, powerful, sexy woman who has to masquerade as a demure, uniformed domestic by day- but who knows what mischief or adventures she may be involved in after hours.

And... who knows what she may know about her employers…?

 


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The Saga of "Exit"

9/11/2021

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It came from Out of the Past-  from 1947, to be exact. This scene from the famous film noir inspired images in my head that I couldn't shake.

 

 

So, in April 2021, I took a video of myself in costume walking down the stairs. Then I created a large drawing from that video. From that I developed a painting... But, like many worthwhile endeavors in life, there were twists, turns, and backtracks along the way.


I love working off of colored, textured grounds. So, in early May, I got off to an interesting start by using purple watercolor and allowing it to drip down the panel.


I sized the image of the drawing in photoshop, printed it out on sheets of paper, and transferred a light image of it onto a panel. Then, using the drawing and the photographs as a reference, I started the painting.



I spent a bunch of time creating a wood grain effect on the stairs, thinking the reddish tone would enhance my purple shadows.

It became clear that something was missing. Something needed to be in the upper left of the composition... I searched about on line and found this awesome exit sign. (Here the name of the painting came into being.)

 

I also "closed up" the space, by making sure all walls, stairs and shadows were touching each other, enclosing the figure in with no way to "escape".

Break time.

This all happened from early May to late June. I set Exit aside. I worked on other projects, such as The Hanged Man and Watch.  



There may have been a beach trip or two as well...




 

 

All the while, I kept looking at Exit out of the corner of my eye... June ended... July ran its course... 

I kept thinking... this could be better. 

It's flat.

It doesn't have the glossy dark depth I had envisioned...

It needs...       blue.


Here I am, paintbrush in mouth, glazing a layer of Prussian blue over my painting. 

I also repainted the exit sign and made it larger. 

I changed her shoes from black to white. 

I even painted over the precious wood grain stairs I had worked so hard on.

Then, after all this, I realized the exit sign was no longer needed. In fact, it had become a distraction. Now that I had all my moody blues creating atmosphere, I wanted the woman to be the focus, as if a spotlight were shining on her. So, using a razor blade, I scratched it out. 

But what about my awesome exit sign? Would I have to change the title of my painting?

With a tiny scrap of red paper and a bit of tape, I was able to see where to put my lovely vintage exit sign.



As I write this, the exit sign has been redone for a FORTH time- ⁠
⁠
Will this be my final move? Is the saga of Exit over once and for all???⁠
 

Finally, finally, I believe it is done. It started in May, and ran off and on until September.

©lesliepetersonsapp Exit

We live in a world of expediency, instant gratification and digital wizardry. But along the way, there has been a growing appreciation of the slow. For example, slow foods, artisanal cheese, vintage wine, and hand-made crafts are all important social and financial movements. 

By sharing the process of my art, I hope to celebrate the slow and deliberate. Just like life, many artistic pursuits take a long and winding road. Part of what makes art, art, is that the artist takes the time to follow that road wherever it leads.

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My Supposedly Cisgender Character Takes an Unexpected Turn

6/17/2021

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I once learned that good fiction writers have a peculiar relationship with the characters they supposedly create. At some point, the character will take on a life of its own, and the author becomes more of a communication medium for a seemingly autonomous being they are somehow the guardian for, but no more. The characters sometimes do things the author doesn’t expect, and the plot can take turns that even the author is surprised by.

Lately, I have found that the figures in my art are starting to speak to me and have a life of their own, just like might happen with an author. I had an interesting thing happen along these lines.

Usually, when I need to draw a male figure, I take pictures of myself in male drag. First I draw what I see in the photograph, then go on to “masculinize” myself. 

I flatten the chest, broaden the shoulders, narrow the hips, square the jaw, and so on. I was all set to go through this process to create a piece that eventually became The Knave of Swords seen here. I used some binding to flatten my chest under my shirt. Then I realized I needed a new reference photograph of myself without the shirt on in order to understand the position of the shoulders.

That’s when the character took on a life of its own. Then I realized I had a treasure.

©lesliepetersonsapp Untitled Drawing
Breast/chest binding has a very, very long history, and has been done for a number of reasons. The character that emerged and took over my original idea seems to be doing it for the purpose of “passing” as a male. It is as if we are catching them midway through their dressing ritual. At some point during my drawing process, one thing became clear: this person did not want to be transformed completely, to be erased from the story, for me to move onto the safer waters, ignoring their existence. 

So. I saved this drawing as is. I took a photo, printed the photo out and traced it onto a new piece of paper, and continued onto my cisgender male vision from there. But the butch woman remained. 

To learn more, this is a totally fun video about the origin of the word "Butch" and what it means.    https://www.them.us/story/inqueery-butch

©lesliepetersonsapp Circle Mirror Drawing


From this experience, new pieces featuring butch women with binding have emerged.  This one is currently called Circle Mirror, and I plan to develop this into a painting soon.

©lesliepetersonsapp The Hanged Man Drawing
I am currently developing this one into a painting entitled The Hanged Man. 
 
So far, I am not sure the folks who follow me on social media, where I have posted images of the drawings, have picked up on the gender of the character, or the presence of binding. I seem to be sneaking up on this new path slowly and quietly, perhaps attempting a bit of "passing" myself.

To be clear, I know that as a cisgender female in a heterosexual marriage, I will never fully understand the experiences of a non-binary, or otherwise queer person. But I also feel drawn to respect the identities of my characters, as well as celebrate the myriad orientations and identities of the people in my community and beyond. 
 
Below, if you click on my youtube link, you can see a slideshow video of the progression of this saga, from the initial photographs to the point at which I traced the drawing to another paper.

Oh, and by the way, Happy Pride Month!
 

To learn a bit more about gender identity, click here.
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A Return to Painting

6/1/2021

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After doing mostly collage for a few years, I have taken a turn to painting again. Although I love the effect of the collage, painting provides me with agility and fluidity that I have come to miss. When I wish to alter or change a piece, a simple swipe of the brush and it is done.
With paint I am working hard on developing richness and depth, and expand upon the chiaroscuro effects so integral to the famous film noir aesthetic.  

©lesliepetersonsapp The Knave of Swords 30x20
The Knave of Swords started as a drawing, which I transferred onto a dark blue ground and went to work. He emerged fully formed, like Athena from Zeus' skull.⁠
⁠It is a wonderment to me that during this time of increased awareness of the plight of Asian Americans, and during Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month that my latest male figure should arrive in the form of a sexy, bad-ass Asian man.⁠

©lesliepetersonsapp Queen of Diamonds 30x20

With this new beauty, I felt inspired to make a painting with a woman playing cards with us, the viewer, and at the same time doling out our fate. A real woman, and a quasi-super-natural element of fate at the same time. The question was, which suit should I make her? Which suit would pack the most amount of symbolic punch?

I solved it by creating an engaging online poll in my social media communities, asking my fans to vote on which suit, hearts or diamonds would best represent my newest femme fatale. The Queen of Hearts got a good showing, The Queen of Diamonds was the undisputed winner. 


To learn more about the unexpectedly complicated decision about which suit to choose, I have written an interesting blogpost about it, entitled When a Card Isn’t Just a Card:  A Lesson in a Lexicon of Racism

If you are interested in witnessing the blow-by-blow, non-stop action of what it takes to create an artpiece, you can follow me on social media: 

Instagram

Facebook

Even Twitter

In this short video, you can watch me paint the diamond on this card of Fate!

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National Tell a Story Day

4/27/2021

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With narrative art such as mine, we are reminded that there is more than one way to tell a story.  Some are told with words, others with sounds, body movement, or images.

My last show was entitled “Story Without a Plot”, which demonstrates how I am driven to tell stories with my art, even if it is implied and not explained with words. 

©lesliepetersonsapp Lace 40x40 Collage, acrylic on panel.
 Our imagination is part of what makes our lives have richness and meaning. The figures in my pictures feel like ghosts performing tableaus and delivering messages from our own subconscious.
©lesliepetersonsapp Anticipate 16x20 Collage on panel

I use the elements of design to support a narrative. Deep focus emphasizes the distance between people, even in a closed room. Dramatic value changes create mood and mystery. Silhouettes and profiles obscure the identity of the characters and create an even larger screen for us to project our stories on.

©lesliepetersonsapp Search 48x40 Collage and Acrylic on panel.
 The spaces I depict feature mirrors, doors, windows, apertures through which we witness dramas unfolding, furthering our engagement with the piece. Populated with femme and homme fatales, they evoke photographs a private detective might take through a window, espying people in some forbidden situation. The mystery of what we see compels us to wonder and reflect.
 


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Femme Fatale: protofeminist or just a very naughty girl?

3/4/2021

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March is Women's History month. During this time I am contemplating my position as a female artist, creating narrative art.

2019 Leslie Peterson Sapp Many a Moon

Part of the enduring fascination we have with noir is the inclusion of powerful female characters. The zenith of film noir was from the 1930’s-1950’s a time of extraordinary change for women, particularly during WWII, when they took up jobs vacated by men who were off at war. The war, plus the changing role of women in society, created nationwide anxiety, much like the anxiety evidenced in our own times.

However, with some exceptions, the classic femme fatale of those times was not a feminist figure. She is not a fully developed character in her own right, but tends to act as a foil for a male character's unfolding drama. Many people think she is a protofeminist, whose disruptive presence and self-serving motivations were a meaningful precursor to the feminist movement.

A terrific article in Crime Reads "The Evolution of The Femme Fatale in Film Noir", Halley Sutton describes the evolution of the femme fatale from the heyday of film noir to the neo noir of today. Her use of her sexual power to get what she wants is still intact, but her personhood is affirmed and sometimes she is even the primary character! Imagine that!

2020 Leslie Peterson Sapp Gamp


In my own work I am wrestling with the issues of stereotypes- am I perpetuating them? Does the work I produce actually uphold my values? My use of nostalgia and depictions of a by-gone era seems to give me license to stay in my comfort zones and repeatedly depict figures that are young, slender, and largely white.
The only answer I have for that is that I keep trying. I keep questioning myself, educating myself and seeing how I can stretch my comfort zones.
What new dramas unfold?


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Love Stinks- and Other Romantic Thoughts.

2/10/2021

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2016 Leslie Peterson Sapp Fatale 30x36
Okay, I don’t really mean that.

During this time of celebrating love and romance, I remember that quote a friend of mine said many years ago: “Romance is about NOT being fulfilled, it’s about longing.”

So let us distinguish between the two: Love. Romance.

Love is wholesome and sees its object as a full person, whether that person is your date, your spouse, your child, friend, parent.

Romance is about the tension that is held between you and an object of your desire. That can include love- or not.

2021 Leslie Peterson Sapp Glass Houses
We all hope that our romantic relationships will be loving ones. We all hope that we will be held in an embrace of mutual respect, understanding and compassion. Nevertheless, it is so very much fun to witness the destructive, obsessive, doomed romances flickering on the silver screen in a good film noir.

So this Valentines Day, let us raise a glass to the darker sides of our nature.

Salud!

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Story Without a Plot Artist Talk

8/15/2020

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Through the month of August, I will be the featured artist at RiverSea Gallery in beautiful Astoria, OR.

Show dates: August 8th - September 8th
RiverSea Gallery 1160 Commercial St, Astoria, OR.

The opening night for Story Without a Plot was a wonderful success!
Thank you to all the people who attended my art opening at RiverSea Gallery last night, online or in person.
In association with the show we held an artist talk. Times being what they are, we did it online in a zoom call. This is an edited video of the artist talk. I talked about why I am inspired by film noir, discuss how I develop an image, then open the “room” up for questions.



Additionally, a portion of the opening was filmed, and you can watch the video embedded below. In it you can see the art up on the wall, and listen to myself and other people talk about the work.
 

 

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A Brief Primer on Film Noir - Part Two: Oh, the Drama!

5/9/2018

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Film noir movies are modern day myths.

“Catharsis” is from the Greek word “kathairein”, meaning “to cleanse, purge.” Aristotle first used this as a metaphor to describe how watching tragic drama can inspire feelings that brings about spiritual renewal or release from tension.

In much the same way someone may like a good war movie or punk rock, yet has no desire to engage in combat or live a chaotic, drug-addled life, many of us achieve a certain catharsis by watching the sufferings of the glamorous figures in a good film noir.
The characters in film noir practice a lot of bad behavior I would never condone. Aside from how much they smoke and drink, they lie, they cheat, they extort and manipulate. I am a person who enjoys a life of minimal drama. Yet it is the drama that I love in film noir! The dream I weave in my pictures is a version of me who is, in a word: clever. Someone who sees through others and can manipulate a situation to her advantage. Very unlike who I really am. But I am utterly uninterested in living a life that would result from being that kind of person. So, I watch it from a safe distance.

In my collage paintings, I use the drama of a noir-esque scene to draw in the viewer not only by depicting figures in evocative, cryptic situations, but by how I organize and compose the image.

In the book “Somewhere in the Night”, Nicholas Christopher describes the noir cityscape as a labyrinth, which reflects the complexity of the movie plot, the inner workings of the protagonist’s mind, and symbolizes the Hero’s Journey into the depths of the soul.

The space depicted in my collage paintings is congested and complicated, sometimes difficult for the viewer to navigate. It is evocative of complicated plot twists and reversals. Lately I have been playing with mirrors, doorways and windows, which I see as apertures into other worlds and realities. The claustrophobic, complex space illustrates the sometimes turgid complexity of our minds and relationships.

The dark, chiaroscuro lighting symbolizes secrets withheld, obscured meaning. Objects and figures that are normally easily identified are shattered and broken down into their essential shapes without superfluous detail. They are transformed, turned upside-down, into something new, special, rarefied.

Eddie Muller, film noir’s preeminent expert, describes it perfectly:

"SUFFERING WITH STYLE.”

“The men and women of this sinister cinematic world are driven by greed, lust, jealousy, and revenge—which leads inexorably to existential torment, soul-crushing despair, and a few last gasping breaths in a rain-soaked gutter. But I'll be damned if these lost souls don't look sensational riding the Hades Express. If you're going straight to hell, you might as well travel with some style to burn.

“Today, the cynicism and fatalism found in classic film noir seems almost comforting compared to the ugliness and pessimism we confront in the media, on movie screens, and in the streets. We watch film noir with an endless fascination, and an undeniable aspect of our fascination is the realization that, as a culture, we will never be that stylish again.”

http://noiralley.tcm.com/noir-101

 
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