Leah Keller

Leah Keller
1950 3rd Avenue, 5th Floor
(@ 107th Street)
New York, NY 10029
web: www.leahkeller.com

My current body of work grew out of the desire to convey the essence of one particular tree. As I began an observational study, I found myself increasingly dissatisfied with the gulf between the living, breathing organism and my inanimate sketch. I wanted to evoke the life, energy and growth of this tree – something I could feel but couldn’t see. I wasn’t interested in the physical anomalies of the tree, but rather the inaccessible, intangible yet clearly evidenced life that permeated it. Striving to manifest this life and energy, I sought to create its equivalent in paint. Throwing, dripping – using the natural forces of gravity and momentum in conjunction with my own movement – this seemed to offer a path. Since those initial explorations, I’ve abandoned the external source as starting point. In its place, the process itself – the dance – has come to the forefront. The forms emerge as I relinquish control.

Biographical Statement
Leah Keller was born in 1976 in La Crosse, Wisconsin. After earning degrees in Psychology (B.A., 1998) and English Literature (M.A., 2001), she studied painting under Peter Williams at Wayne State University in Detroit, Michigan. She currently lives in New York City, where she’s preparing for upcoming exhibitions in both New York and Paris.

"MPM 061212," 60 x 96 inches (5 x 8 ft.), enamel on canvas