Theodore Payne Gallery
Current Exhibition
Lesley Goren – Containment | December 3, 2021-February 28, 2022
Artist and designer Lesley Goren presents a collection of new small works alongside an installation of large-scale botanical wallpaper. These works explore the beauty of California native plants using rich color and lively patterns. Containment approaches native plant imagery through two lenses. Small works on paper depict flora in neat and orderly compositions. Flowers and leaves are depicted in flat, pleasant colors, in simple shapes on crisp paper. The lines and forms feel contained, bound by neat edges and ample white space. These images hint at the built landscape, the landscapes of sub-developments and city blocks, of buildings and overpasses- the forms humans create which try to control and contain nature, or at least make it more convenient. In contrast, the large botanical wallpaper depicts flora unbound- rich patterns evoke tangled plant forms, moody light, and sensuality. Intricate patterns cover walls, forming a bold backdrop to the small works. This lush patterning evokes the beauty of the untamed places in Southern California, the richness of chaparral-clad hills, the mystery of oak woodlands, the places which still feel wild. Playing with scale, color, and patterning, Goren presents two interpretations of native flora. This dichotomy offers the viewer an opportunity to question how they view the world around them, and the spaces through which they travel.
About the artist
Lesley Goren, an artist and illustrator, moved to Los Angeles in 2005. She quickly fell in love with the wilderness that surrounds and dots the city. As her interest in California native flora grew deeper she began to make art that explores these irreplaceable plants and places. Lesley’s work has been shown in galleries, park visitor centers, and boutiques throughout California. She also creates work for clients, especially for organizations focused on environmental protection and conservation.
Visit her website at lesleygoren.com.