All-Over Realism: the Paintings of Leslie Parke

Leslie Parke in her studio.

American painter Leslie Parke paints abstract compositions from the real life subject matter of gold trimmed China dishes and recycled disposables.

Recycled Paper Sasebo Japan, oil painting on canvas by Leslie Parke

One day, on a walk with a friend in Sasebo, Japan, she passed a recycling center stacked with bales of recycled paper. “The image of their surface was striking to me,” said Leslie Parke, “ like a Harnett trompe l’oeil painting, and the structure of the bales made me think of Don Judd’s boxes.”  For Leslie, the bales contained the history of painting– “[they] carried everything from Lichtenstein’s cartoon paintings, to Jackson Pollock’s all-over composition,” the artist stated.

Compacted, oil painting on canvas by Leslie Parke

Later, on a trip to Maine, Leslie discovered bales of crushed cans at another recycling center. The shiny metal and circular lids suggested new visual elements for her canvases– circles, folds, bands, and also reflected light.

Recycled Bottle, oil painting on canvas by Leslie Parke

Much like Monet’s Water Lily paintings and Jackson Pollock’s drip paintings, Leslie Parke paints her images cropped, close in, with no visible horizon line. She enjoys painting in oil on linen or canvas as large as 60 x 70 inches.

Plates in the River, oil painting on canvas by Leslie Parke

One day, after giving a party, she began painting piles of her Grandfather’s gold trimmed English porcelain.

Cascade, oil painting on canvas by Leslie Parke

“Up-close these works painted in oil on linen or canvas, seem to be merely flecks of paint, … but from a distance appear photo-realistic,” Leslie Parke describes in her artist statement.

China Heap, oil painting on canvas by Leslie Parke

Leslie Parke is the recipient of several prestigious foundation support grants. She was also an artist-in-residence at the Claude Monet Foundation in Giverny, France.

She has exhibited widely, including  several exhibitions in museums in both North and South America. Parke has a BA and MA from Bennington College.  Her work is in numerous corporate and private collections.

View more images of her amazing artwork on her website: www.leslieparke.com