Artist Leslie Tucker’s solo show offers an artistic vision rooted in equal parts philosophy, photography and an exploration of tech’s constant presence.
https://fineartglobe.com/artists/digital-philosophies-leslie-tuckers-the-future-i-fear-is-coming/
By Audra Lambert
November 30, 2022
Renowned intellectual, writer, and artist Susan Sontag’s observation that one “cannot possess reality, [but] can possess images” calls to mind that images have the unique ability to serve as a reference point. Images can orient the viewer, and while philosophy and photography may seem unlikely bedfellows, they both share a vested interest in exploring our phenomenological world. Philosophy and photography each purport to provide a better understanding of what truth lies just beyond our immediate sense of reality, waiting to be grasped in full. Artist Leslie Tucker adopts this same spirit of uncovering hidden truths in the meticulously arranged images on view in ‘the future i fear is coming’ – an exhibit that offers a window into expansive imagery that bridges visual culture from the Medieval period to the present day. The artist draws from her experience creating fine art and working in the media landscape to reflect the objects that we hold precious back to us through compositions that span aspects of illuminated manuscripts, Photoshop tools, and influencer culture.
In “the future i fear is coming,” Leslie Tucker presents mixed media work from her “Quandaries and Devotionals” series. Works on view offer a consideration of tech: its role in society and its continual fast-paced churning year after year. The artist’s works present a comparison between what we have valued throughout human history, from the Medieval period to the present age. Where saints and deities used to be presented as icons in places of worship and on the pages of illuminated manuscripts, Tucker re-imagines a world where the objects we value – tech innovations from the iPhone to the light bulb – exist in formats previously relegated by religious icons and reliquaries. This solo presentation by the artist remains on view at Hobart and William Smith College’s Davis Gallery through December 10th, 2022, translating the artist’s philosophical vision to an audience of students, faculty, local residents, and visitors alike.
WHAT: Leslie Tucker: 'the future i fear is coming'
WHEN: November 10—December 10, 2022
WHERE: Davis Gallery at Hobart and William Smith Colleges, 1 Kings Ln, Geneva, New York 14456, davisgallery@hws.edu
Tucker’s meticulous artistic stylings and formats mirror the intimate yet intricate investigation she makes into what we value in contemporary society, with detailed repetition, layered objects, and framing devices bringing these concepts to life. Tucker reflects on the contrast of immediacy and intricacy in these series, noting that she sets forth to offer the viewer a chance to “…meander through my decorative tableaux to rediscover the underbelly of our humanity – to better understand who we are, who we’ve been and who we are becoming.” By presenting imagery related to humanity’s march toward technological progress, Tucker explores who we are becoming as a society by framing us in terms of the objects we value, turning the lens back at us and our consumerist tendencies. Visitors to the exhibit will explore new ways of considering how we consume and have a chance to reflect upon our collective vision for the future.
Tucker is an artist working in an image-based practice who has received critical acclaim over the course of her three-decades-long career. Her work has been recognized and published in various notable art magazines, including Aesthetica Magazine, Fabrik Magazine, The Journal of Art & Design, and other periodicals. The artist has exhibited at Muhlenberg College’s Martin Art Gallery, Cumberland Gallery, Julio Valdez Project Space, and Photoville Art Fest, among others. More information on the artist’s Davis Gallery exhibit at their website: https://www.hws.edu/offices/davis-gallery/2022-2023-exhibitions.aspx
Renowned intellectual, writer, and artist Susan Sontag’s observation that one “cannot possess reality, [but] can possess images” calls to mind that images have the unique ability to serve as a reference point. Images can orient the viewer, and while philosophy and photography may seem unlikely bedfellows, they both share a vested interest in exploring our phenomenological world. Philosophy and photography each purport to provide a better understanding of what truth lies just beyond our immediate sense of reality, waiting to be grasped in full. Artist Leslie Tucker adopts this same spirit of uncovering hidden truths in the meticulously arranged images on view in ‘the future i fear is coming’ – an exhibit that offers a window into expansive imagery that bridges visual culture from the Medieval period to the present day. The artist draws from her experience creating fine art and working in the media landscape to reflect the objects that we hold precious back to us through compositions that span aspects of illuminated manuscripts, Photoshop tools, and influencer culture.
In “the future i fear is coming,” Leslie Tucker presents mixed media work from her “Quandaries and Devotionals” series. Works on view offer a consideration of tech: its role in society and its continual fast-paced churning year after year. The artist’s works present a comparison between what we have valued throughout human history, from the Medieval period to the present age. Where saints and deities used to be presented as icons in places of worship and on the pages of illuminated manuscripts, Tucker re-imagines a world where the objects we value – tech innovations from the iPhone to the light bulb – exist in formats previously relegated by religious icons and reliquaries. This solo presentation by the artist remains on view at Hobart and William Smith College’s Davis Gallery through December 10th, 2022, translating the artist’s philosophical vision to an audience of students, faculty, local residents, and visitors alike.
WHAT: Leslie Tucker: 'the future i fear is coming'
WHEN: November 10—December 10, 2022
WHERE: Davis Gallery at Hobart and William Smith Colleges, 1 Kings Ln, Geneva, New York 14456, davisgallery@hws.edu
Tucker’s meticulous artistic stylings and formats mirror the intimate yet intricate investigation she makes into what we value in contemporary society, with detailed repetition, layered objects, and framing devices bringing these concepts to life. Tucker reflects on the contrast of immediacy and intricacy in these series, noting that she sets forth to offer the viewer a chance to “…meander through my decorative tableaux to rediscover the underbelly of our humanity – to better understand who we are, who we’ve been and who we are becoming.” By presenting imagery related to humanity’s march toward technological progress, Tucker explores who we are becoming as a society by framing us in terms of the objects we value, turning the lens back at us and our consumerist tendencies. Visitors to the exhibit will explore new ways of considering how we consume and have a chance to reflect upon our collective vision for the future.
Tucker is an artist working in an image-based practice who has received critical acclaim over the course of her three-decades-long career. Her work has been recognized and published in various notable art magazines, including Aesthetica Magazine, Fabrik Magazine, The Journal of Art & Design, and other periodicals. The artist has exhibited at Muhlenberg College’s Martin Art Gallery, Cumberland Gallery, Julio Valdez Project Space, and Photoville Art Fest, among others. More information on the artist’s Davis Gallery exhibit at their website: https://www.hws.edu/offices/davis-gallery/2022-2023-exhibitions.aspx
AUDRA LAMBERT
Audra Lambert is a freelance art critic who holds an MA, Art History and Visual Culture from Lindenwood University. She has written for HuffPost, The Culture Trip, Art Nerd NY, and other arts and cultural publications for over seven years.
Audra Lambert is a freelance art critic who holds an MA, Art History and Visual Culture from Lindenwood University. She has written for HuffPost, The Culture Trip, Art Nerd NY, and other arts and cultural publications for over seven years.
