Leslie Paul

Leslie Paul’s intuitive process centers around both timing and memory. Similar to the action painter whose paintings exist as a record of the artists’ physical movements, Leslie’s work archives his gestures, and his time. In the studio, Paul, who is in his 70s, paces himself by painting and resting in short intervals. Likewise he attends to his unfinished work in brief stretches each day, essentially adding or removing what's right for that day before moving on. An ECF studio artist for 20 years, Leslie Paul confidently lets staff know when a piece is finished or when it needs more of his attention. This earnestly controlled process often results in hauntingly powerful works: geometric shapes pile on top of each other, layers of acrylic paint create a rubbery new topography of the artist’s attention. Paul’s work sometimes includes personal details like his mother’s name (Barbara), or pictures of churches that remind him of her.

Leslie Paul has worked in the ECF Art Center's since 2001, first starting at ECF Art Center MLK studio (formerly located on Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. in South LA) and now works at our Westside studio.