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The daughter of an inventor and an artist, American painter Lenor Bingham grew up on Long Island, amidst her father’s extravagant contraptions and her mother’s sculptures. Frequent trips to museums spurred a passion for modern art and Abstract Expressionism; while childhood travels to Latin America enlivened her palette.
Bingham paints delicate portraits of family life, dream-like vignettes evoking childhood memories, folk tales, or tender declarations of love for her children. The desire for intimacy and preservation of the familiar nucleus are recurring themes in her work, although not overtly addressed. Bingham’s Chagallian aesthetic is achieved through layers of acrylic, watercolor, and ink, partially washed-out with bleach. This act of covering and uncovering casts tiny hints to the underlying stories resulting in poetic works of unparalleled textural complexity.
Bingham formally studied art under Toby Klayman at the Fort Mason Art Center in San Francisco. She exhibited her art in solo and group shows in Portland, OR, and New York. A wine enthusiast, avid hiker, and licensed esthetician, she now runs a German restaurant with her husband. She works and lives in Portland, OR.
LENOR BINGHAM ON
Birds Eye View, 2021
Acrylic & ink on paper
24” x 18”
My artwork is a process of using color and texture to tell a story. I let myself be guided by the color combination I choose, be it muted tones or bright primary hues. At times, the stories are abstract with linear lines. Other times, I paint figures that have movement and grace. In the past year, I have adopted an abstract expressionist style as a way to form an intimate connection with the viewer and elicit an emotional response.
Although I am partial to inks and acrylic paint, I am always experimenting with new mediums and trying out unconventional techniques that work together to tell a story. The story behind every painting is then further developed through layers and layers of paint, which create texture and complexity, casting tiny hints to the underlying narrative. I work out of my home studio in Portland, OR. My work is influenced by my surroundings–especially the weather, which fluctuates in Oregon. As a result, my palette varies intuitively depending on the temperature I am experiencing. Paint has its own path and I tend to follow where it wants to flow.
ORIGINAL LENOR BINGHAM ARTWORKS ON
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