“For most people reality is the confirmation of their expectations. These pictures…offer alternatives”1 wrote Alfred Leslie of his meditative body of black and white watercolors entitled 100 Views Along the Road. Bruce Silverstein Gallery is pleased to present a selection of these elegant paintings done in grisaille as its second solo exhibition devoted to the work of Alfred Leslie.
In 1966, Leslie’s New York City home and studio burned down in a tragic fire, taking the lives of twelve firefighters and years of paintings, films and other works. This left the artist to forfeit his upcoming one-man exhibition at The Whitney Museum, and completely start over. As a way to initially push aside, and then work through the tremendous grief, Leslie spent time in the Hamptons painting watercolors of the beach. After completing two of these beach scenes in 1966–which were purchased by MoMA shortly thereafter–Leslie realized they were more than mere studies for The Killing Cycle, and that this effort would warrant further exploration. In the late 1970s, he set out for California for another change of scene, encountering a new type of landscape to draw from. During a road trip east from Santa Barbara in 1978, Alfred’s encounter with Gallup, New Mexico spurred a series of sketches that he continued to make across America, mostly from inside his car, that would serve as inspiration for 100 Views. Although born out of tragedy, the works made during this time ultimately became the artist’s vehicle for redemption.
