The words “Utopian” and “Dystopian”always fascinated me. Do they really exist? My art collector friend, Leslie Weissman, who I know through Fountainhead Arts, is also an artist. I kind of knew that but I never really explored her art. Then we went to Paris together with Fountainhead in October, and I had the opportunity to look at it on Instagram. I was hooked immediately. Every aspect of her art made me feel like she was inside my head hearing my thoughts. Each piece reminded me of subjects that I have repeatedly thought about over the years. That doesn’t happen very often. I bought four paintings on the spot. They are the first four below. The remainder are either owned by other collectors, or are still available. I can’t hog all of Leslie’s work, but I would, if I could. —LWH

It’s also very unusual that an artist can verbalize what his or her work is all about. Leslie has no trouble doing that. All the copy below was written by Leslie to explain her paintings.

“Representing a thought, a moment in time or a relationship that needs exploration, my work balances the Utopian and Dystopian environments that surround us. Constantly trying to balance the dichotomy in our world; anonymity and extreme presence, broken and perfect parts, personal histories and current circumstances, my work evolves from an initial view of my environment to an abstract depiction of relationships.

“Currently exploring the suburban landscape and the real and imagined boundaries that prevail in our daily life; a thought about social, economic and political status. Approaching this from two vantage points; through the abstract and ghost like figures and the boundaries of our landscapes I am hoping to initiate a dialogue about how we relate to each other and function as a community. I am interested in personal intrigues and how those struggles and background stories impact our reactions and relations to those around us.

“The use of trees, natural landscape elements and forms are my way of depicting the boundaries we erect for ourselves and how we need to constantly adjust them to perform, survive and grow beyond. Our boundaries are often self-imposed or obtained from a desire to be part of a collective group. So long as we know our boundaries, we can live within them or push beyond.

“Life is rife with individual struggles of belonging and wanting to standout. No longer does our world provide anonymity derived from a standard way of life and uniformity. In the midst of neighborhoods and developments is a modern social revolution where individuals are looking to be known for something greater than being part of the whole.

“The dichotomy of many of us face is rich with age old questions regarding our place in the universe and what entails a perfect model for truth in our lives.”

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