Wayfarers is pleased to present:
Leslie Lanxinger

Wayfarers Artist in Residence program was founded by board member Serra Victoria Bothwell Fels who invited then Florida-based artist John Orth to be our inaugural resident in the summer of 2014. The work that John produced and the energy he generated during his summer with us was genuinely inspiring to the Wayfarers community. Since then, each January, an artist is selected through a competitive, open application process that is reviewed and voted on by all Wayfarers members and board members. The selected artist is given a studio with us for the summer and a solo exhibition in our onsite gallery in early fall.

In 2018, unanticipated changes to our building prohibited us from offering a physical residency, but we still thought it important to connect one of the artists our members selected with the Brooklyn arts community. Los Angeles based artist Leslie Lanxinger was a finalist during our 2017 application process, so in January of 2018 we invited her to stage an exhibit of new drawings.

Sick Rose featured nine high contrast charcoal drawings which incorporate sculptural and photographic processes. The title is taken from the poem 'The Sick Rose' by William Blake: O Rose thou art sick/ the invisible worm/ that flies in the night/ in the howling storm/ has found out thy bed/ of crimson joy/ and his dark secret love/ does thy life destroy.  Lanxiger describes the work in Sick Rose as speaking“to the subtle assumptions within our culture - how women are perceived not just by society, but how we perceive ourselves - and the effect this has had in shaping generations.” Leslie continues: I am scrupulously and honestly taking stock of my own experiences, my awareness, and my actions. I am examining a lifetime of thought and choices that I have made, confronting my own invisible worm.”

We were pleased to have had the opportunity to exhibit Sick Rose, and thrilled to extend our relationship with Leslie Lanxiger and her work by presenting this introduction to her studio practice and processes. 

Leslie and Wayfarers extend our sincere gratitude to the following supporters for making this video possible:
Brooklyn Arts Council
Director/Editor- Jill D'Agnenica
Producer- Christine Triano
Art Direction- Christine Cortina and Mollie Murphy
Interview- Andrea Sarafian Harrow
Additional editing- Keil Troisi