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Desconocido 09
Archival pigment print
Desconocido, a new series by artist Leigh Wells, begins with vintage book pages featuring greyscale reproductions of historical works of art. Wells obscures and transforms these images, creating new compositions in which fragments of the original subject remain visible but the full image, and its meaning, becomes increasingly elusive. The works exist somewhere between recognition and uncertainty, offering hints of what was there before without allowing it to be fully recovered.
Wells builds each collage through layers of gouache, acrylic, graphite, Prismacolor pencil, painted repurposed papers, and extracted reproductions of Renaissance and other sculptures. In the process, the history embedded in the original images becomes interwoven with her own visual history. Earlier images, materials, and gestures are covered, revealed, altered, and layered over one another, much as experiences accumulate over the course of a life.
The resulting works consider how history, both cultural and personal, is never experienced as a complete or fixed record. What we inherit is partial; what we remember is continually altered by what comes after. In Desconocido, Wells creates images that hold onto traces of what came before while making space for something new, ambiguous, and ultimately unknowable.
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Desconocido, a new series by artist Leigh Wells, begins with vintage book pages featuring greyscale reproductions of historical works of art. Wells obscures and transforms these images, creating new compositions in which fragments of the original subject remain visible but the full image, and its meaning, becomes increasingly elusive. The works exist somewhere between recognition and uncertainty, offering hints of what was there before without allowing it to be fully recovered.
Wells builds each collage through layers of gouache, acrylic, graphite, Prismacolor pencil, painted repurposed papers, and extracted reproductions of Renaissance and other sculptures. In the process, the history embedded in the original images becomes interwoven with her own visual history. Earlier images, materials, and gestures are covered, revealed, altered, and layered over one another, much as experiences accumulate over the course of a life.
The resulting works consider how history, both cultural and personal, is never experienced as a complete or fixed record. What we inherit is partial; what we remember is continually altered by what comes after. In Desconocido, Wells creates images that hold onto traces of what came before while making space for something new, ambiguous, and ultimately unknowable.
Artwork Information
Materials
Archival pigment print
Authentication
COA provided by Tappan
The work comes with a Certification of Authenticity signed by the Co-Founder of Tappan.
Dimensions
ARTWORK DIMENSIONS
18 x 24 inches
30 x 40 inches
FRAMED DIMENSIONS
18 x 24 inches
Matted: 25.5 x 31.5 x 2 inches
Full Bleed: 19.5 x 25.5 x 2 inches
Unframed: 18 x 24 inches
30 x 40 inches
Matted: 38 x 48 x 2 inches
Full Bleed: 32 x 42 x 2 inches
Unframed: 30 x 40 inches
This artwork is custom-framed in hand-built solid wood framing with archival materials. Custom framed artworks will ship in 1 - 3 weeks.
Limited Edition Prints and Photography are custom trimmed with border for framing 2" for all larger sizes.
All sizes listed are overall paper dimensions including the white border.
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“I approach the combination of elements in my work as though I am constructing a feeling, a thought, a relationship—intentionally creating spatial and narrative ambiguity that heightens the work’s expressive tension.”
About the Artist
Leigh Wells
Leigh Wells’ mixed media works comprise collage, drawings, and sculpture of found materials, paper, and fabric as well as paintings on pieced textiles that consist of simple, restrained abstract forms. Her work has been featured in The New York Times, Architectural Digest, Elle Decor, and Harper’s Magazine. Select honors include Pollock Krasner Foundation Grant and SFMOMA SECA Award nomination.
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This service is currently unavailable,
sorry for the inconvenience.
Pair it with a frame
Frame options are for visualization purposes only.
FRAME STYLE
MATTING SIZE
BUILDING YOUR EXPERIENCE
powered by Blankwall
Take a few steps back and let your camera see more of the scene.
powered by Blankwall
Was this experience helpful?
Desconocido, a new series by artist Leigh Wells, begins with vintage book pages featuring greyscale reproductions of historical works of art. Wells obscures and transforms these images, creating new compositions in which fragments of the original subject remain visible but the full image, and its meaning, becomes increasingly elusive. The works exist somewhere between recognition and uncertainty, offering hints of what was there before without allowing it to be fully recovered.
Wells builds each collage through layers of gouache, acrylic, graphite, Prismacolor pencil, painted repurposed papers, and extracted reproductions of Renaissance and other sculptures. In the process, the history embedded in the original images becomes interwoven with her own visual history. Earlier images, materials, and gestures are covered, revealed, altered, and layered over one another, much as experiences accumulate over the course of a life.
The resulting works consider how history, both cultural and personal, is never experienced as a complete or fixed record. What we inherit is partial; what we remember is continually altered by what comes after. In Desconocido, Wells creates images that hold onto traces of what came before while making space for something new, ambiguous, and ultimately unknowable.
NINA TAKESH ON LEIGH WELLS
"My fascination with emerging artists stems from the pure creative energy they bring to the contemporary art landscape. There's an authenticity in their exploration that resonates deeply with how I approach interior spaces. Supporting these artists means being part of art history in the making.”
Artwork: Obscure Sorrows: A Hopeful Glimpse
