Lance Letscher | The Miraculous Staircase

LANCE LETSCHER

26 APRIL — 8 JUNE 2019

LANCE LETSCHER T H E M I R AC U LO U S S TA I R C A S E

TAYLOE PIGGOTT GALLERY 62 SOUTH GLENWOOD STREET JACKSON HOLE WYOMING TEL 307 733 0555 TAYLOEPIGGOTTGALLERY.COM

HOLLOW LOG 40 x 60 in | collage | 2019

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MIRACULOUS STAIRCASE 11 x 11 in | collage | 2019

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SPRING EVENING 20 x 19 3/4 in | collage | 2019

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PEYOTE DANCE 11 1/2 × 6 x 5 in | collage | 2019

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MAGIC MOUNTAIN 38 x 58 in | collage | 2019

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MUSHROOM DANCE 8 1/2 × 7 in | collage | 2019

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THE AQUARIUM 40 x 60 in | collage | 2019

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THE SIGN 22 x 16 3/4 in | collage | 2019

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PINK PATH 7 1/2 × 5 1/4 in | collage | 2019

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LITTLE BOOK 11 x 8 1/2 in | collage | 2018

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CATUS BY THE SEA 11 x 17 in | collage | 2019

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LANCE LETSCHER

Austin-based artist, Lance Letscher creates ceaselessly creative works of collage. Each composition consists of detailed poetic mirages that weave together bits of imagery into a captivating whole. Letscher’s latest exhibition titled The Miraculous Staircase, showcases his exploration of the wild, vivid colors that originate from mid-20th century print publications.

Trained as a printmaker, Letscher’s early career in fact focused on conceptual sculpture from marble or wood. However, by the mid-nineties he returned to paper-based work in collage. Letscher’s work is driven by his creative desire for original inspiration. Gathering random items from estate sales and trash heaps, Letscher’s talent is to breathe life into discarded scraps. His materials have grown over the years to include parts used textbooks, vintage department store catalogs, album covers, and even metal that he staples together. Always evolving with his bent of curiosity, Letscher’s compositions have an emotional core that unites his work regardless of medium.

Letscher’s art is informed by a compulsive interest in the mechanics and phenomenon of creativity and inspiration. According to Letscher, he is fascinated by “the daily development of fragmentary and elusive bits of ideas into a more fully-formed realization as a work of art. In many ways, the work that I do… is a by-product of this practice. Painter Agnes Martin referred to this state of inspiration as the ‘untroubled mind’.

In my case, it seems more closely related to working with my hands. Still, this frame of mind – when time seems to pass quickly, and things get accomplished – is my real goal as an artist.”

This state of untroubled mind remains present within Letscher’s latest exhibition. This show presents a new quality of material and color, which he sourced over many years. The brilliant, intensity of color within Letscher’s new work is born from the time period from which they were published. Spending days searching for rare print publications from the 1940s-1970s, this body of work showcases an unbelievable quality of color. Without the technology that we use today, past print productions had much more time surrounding the printing process. Often the images were hand colored, giving them an artful depth and vividness. Letscher’s use of these vintage images in his collages are instantly captivating.

This group of work is also united through the floral imagery bursting from each composition. Unlike other imagery, flowers and plants are subsumed by their property of color. This brings an intensity to Letscher’s work that is unique and powerful. Engulfing the viewer, each piece naturally evokes the emotions of love, hope, and happiness due to a flower’s symbolism. Representing rebirth and growth, flowers inherently uplift our spirits. A castle, a cactus, a bed of beautiful flowers, all entwine together and encourage each viewer to construct their own narrative from the miraculous images before them. Letscher views this as his role; to create a structure that inspires imaginative contemplation.

Lance Letscher currently lives and works in Austin, Texas. He attended the University of Texas where he received both his Bachelor of Fine Arts and his Master of Fine Arts. His work has been in solo exhibitions in Texas, New York, San Francisco, Paris, Switzerland and Barcelona. His work is included in both public and private collections around the country including the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, TX; the McNay Museum of Art in San Antonio, TX; and the Austin Museum of Art, Austin, TX. Letscher’s work has been reviewed in Art in America, the New York Observer, and Harper’s Magazine, among other publications. A full-length monograph of his work, Lance Letscher: Collage, was published in 2009.

Photography by Christopher Zaleski © 2019 All Rights Reserved

62 SOUTH GLENWOOD STREET JACKSON HOLE, WYOMING TEL 307 733 0555 TAYLOEPIGGOTTGALLERY.COM