Launch LA is proud to present a solo show by artist Leigh Salgado who investigates the nuances of femininity, gender stereotypes and reflections on lived experience.
Los Angeles based artist Leigh Salgado combines figurate and abstract imagery of abstracted flowers, petals and textiles with the manual dexterity of her highly meticulous process.
“The labor-intensive process involves cutting paper by hand with an X-Acto knife, lending texture and dimensionality to the surface. Altering monotypes with cutting, painting and the addition of eyelets also creates some of the new work. Each of the works draws a resemblance to a range of readymade objects: lace, netting, fabrics, metal and articles of clothing.” – Leigh Salgado
Love In All The Right Places investigates an ongoing interest in subjects and forms that Salgado associates with her development during girlhood and womanhood. Memories, experiences and various women who have formed her worldview serve as inspiration. As such, a common theme in Salgado’s imagery is a reinterpretation of the feminine and/or “girlishness.” Motivated by a belief in the inherent power of the female, Salgado challenges antiquated notions of weakness, diminishment or triviality previously associated with “girly” things. Salgado’s process of hand cutting may be reminiscent of “women’s work” such as sewing, knitting, or crocheting, but the end result is most definitely fine art, historically privileged as “men’s work.”
Salgado’s art is also about persistence in spite of the impossibility of perfection, an appreciation for ornamentation and a deep respect for the actual labor that manifests ideas into concrete objects.