Leigh Salgado: Paper Lady
By Aimee Santos
What would the idea of beauty be like if it had a form? And what if that form was flat? These are the things that come to mind when one looks at the work of Leigh Salgado, an artist based in the Huntington Park neighborhood of Los Angeles. Salgado’s work began with painting where she incorporated “burning surfaces and drawing.” It wasn’t until the 1990s when Salgado was working on a 7×4 foot piece she calls a ‘doodle’ drawing that a moment of frustration brought her to your next manifestation of her craft. “I picked up an X-Acto knife and aggressively cut out areas I didn’t want. This felt very liberating and cutting then became part of my drawing/painting process.” Said Salgado.
One can’t help but see the feminin aspect incorporating itself into Salgado’s work with intricately cut ‘sculpted paintings’ of floral like corsets and bras and panties that weave their way into larger more intricate designs. One piece in particular titled ‘Birdcage’ shows a metal corset with floral accents, Salgado says “I view undergarments and clothing as beautiful and interesting objects that can be both freeing and confining.” Her work is not too far off of how most women feel today about their spandex and six inch heels yet with Salgodo imagery one might not feel that way upon first glance, in fact one might feel connected to the delicacy of her work. “Although conditioning has a role in what we consider to be sexy or attractive, we are also inherently drawn to patterns and mystery, elements in fabrics that are often used in female attire.” Said Salgado.