ARTIST STATEMENT
Leslie Lewis Sigler’s still life paintings of silver and copper heirlooms collect treasured family objects as families of objects. In Sigler’s work, an extensive collection of objects, histories, and emotional relations is brought vividly and suggestively to life. Each piece has its own unique story to tell, moments of polish and moments of tarnish. A series of portraits thus emerges whose enduring power and beauty reflect the depths of human character and the profound connectedness of shared history.
Domestic objects made of precious metals—flatware, vessels, molds, cutlery—have a kind of eternal life. They may age beyond recognition, but polishing them will soon recapture their original luster. Attending to the elegance of their form and the precision of their decorative flourishes, as well as to the play of light off their surfaces and even the shadows they cast, Sigler renders these singular objects in all their varied richness, elevating them beyond their mere functionality through a signature combination of near-photographic realism and painterly abstraction.
In this way, the work is about both aesthetic immediacy and symbolic significance. Just as Sigler herself is often reflected-visible, even if distorted-in the ever-changing patina of the cherished heirlooms she paints, so the objects come to reflect enduring and captivating histories. As they have been passed down from generation to generation and put to use at family gatherings, imagine all those who have been reflected in their gleam, brought together by the objects’ connecting force around the table. Or perhaps they were rediscovered at an estate sale or thrift shop, salvaged from the purgatory of resale, for new personal and family histories to be expressed. On the whole, Sigler’s paintings stand as invitations to see life reflected as part of an evolving lineage that crosses generations and geography, connecting us all through time and space.
Leslie Lewis Sigler’s still life paintings of silver and copper heirlooms collect treasured family objects as families of objects. In Sigler’s work, an extensive collection of objects, histories, and emotional relations is brought vividly and suggestively to life. Each piece has its own unique story to tell, moments of polish and moments of tarnish. A series of portraits thus emerges whose enduring power and beauty reflect the depths of human character and the profound connectedness of shared history.
Domestic objects made of precious metals—flatware, vessels, molds, cutlery—have a kind of eternal life. They may age beyond recognition, but polishing them will soon recapture their original luster. Attending to the elegance of their form and the precision of their decorative flourishes, as well as to the play of light off their surfaces and even the shadows they cast, Sigler renders these singular objects in all their varied richness, elevating them beyond their mere functionality through a signature combination of near-photographic realism and painterly abstraction.
In this way, the work is about both aesthetic immediacy and symbolic significance. Just as Sigler herself is often reflected-visible, even if distorted-in the ever-changing patina of the cherished heirlooms she paints, so the objects come to reflect enduring and captivating histories. As they have been passed down from generation to generation and put to use at family gatherings, imagine all those who have been reflected in their gleam, brought together by the objects’ connecting force around the table. Or perhaps they were rediscovered at an estate sale or thrift shop, salvaged from the purgatory of resale, for new personal and family histories to be expressed. On the whole, Sigler’s paintings stand as invitations to see life reflected as part of an evolving lineage that crosses generations and geography, connecting us all through time and space.
BIOGRAPHY
Leslie Lewis Sigler (b. 1983) is a contemporary painter whose still life renditions of silver and copper heirlooms capture the enduring beauty and profound depth of these transcendent domestic objects, reflecting individual and collective histories, telling stories of the legacy of personal and familial ties. The seed for her work was planted when for her birthday Sigler’s grandmother began gifting her one piece at a time from a family silverware collection. Born and raised in San Marcos, Texas, Sigler earned a BFA from the University of Texas, Austin in 2006. Her work has been exhibited and collected nationally in group and solo shows. She lives and works in Soquel, California.
Leslie Lewis Sigler (b. 1983) is a contemporary painter whose still life renditions of silver and copper heirlooms capture the enduring beauty and profound depth of these transcendent domestic objects, reflecting individual and collective histories, telling stories of the legacy of personal and familial ties. The seed for her work was planted when for her birthday Sigler’s grandmother began gifting her one piece at a time from a family silverware collection. Born and raised in San Marcos, Texas, Sigler earned a BFA from the University of Texas, Austin in 2006. Her work has been exhibited and collected nationally in group and solo shows. She lives and works in Soquel, California.
RESUME
Born 1983, San Marcos, Texas
EDUCATION
2006 BFA, University of Texas, Austin, TX
SOLO EXHIBITIONS
2023 Blood Vessels, Billis Williams Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
2023 Recent Paintings, George Billis Gallery, Fairfield, CT
2022 Once Removed, Jane Deering Gallery, Gloucester, MA
2022 Potluck, Sullivan Goss – An American Gallery, Santa Barbara, CA
2021 Familiar, Commerce Gallery, Lockhart, TX
2021 Inherent, George Billis Gallery, Westport, CT
2020 Inherent, George Billis Gallery, New York, NY
2020 Belonging, Sullivan Goss – An American Gallery, Santa Barbara, CA
2018 Storytellers, George Billis Gallery, New York, NY
2017 Silver and Grey, Jane Deering Gallery, Gloucester, MA
2015 Revival, George Billis Gallery, New York, NY
2014 Equipoise, Jane Deering Gallery, Santa Barbara, CA
2013 Relatives, Jane Deering Gallery, Gloucester, MA
2012 Relatives, Architectural Foundation Gallery, Santa Barbara, CA
2011 Objects of My Reflection, Faulkner Gallery, Santa Barbara, CA
SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2023 The Female Gaze, Galerie Mokum, Amsterdam, Netherlands
2022 100 Grand, Sullivan Goss – An American Gallery, Santa Barbara, CA
2021 Real Women: Realist Art by American Women, Sullivan Goss – An American Gallery, Santa Barbara, CA
2020 The San Francisco Fall Show, Sullivan Goss – An American Gallery, Santa Barbara, CA
2019 Mixology, Sullivan Goss – An American Gallery, Santa Barbara, CA
2019 Getting Real, Chautauqua Institution Gallery, Chautauqua, NY
2019 Size Doesn’t Matter: Food for Thought, Louis K. Meisel Gallery, New York, NY
2019 100 Grand, Sullivan Goss – An American Gallery, Santa Barbara, CA
2018 JuxtaPOSE, Santa Barbara Arts Fund Gallery, Santa Barbara, CA
2018 100 Grand, Sullivan Goss – An American Gallery, Santa Barbara, CA
2017 100 Grand, Sullivan Goss – An American Gallery, Santa Barbara, CA
2016 100 Grand, Sullivan Goss – An American Gallery, Santa Barbara, CA
2016 Joie de Vivre, Westmont Ridley-Tree Museum of Art, Montecito, CA
2015 100 Grand, Sullivan Goss – An American Gallery, Santa Barbara, CA
2015 Summer Group Show, George Billis Gallery, New York, NY
2014 100 Grand, Sullivan Goss – An American Gallery, Santa Barbara, CA
2013 100 Grand, Sullivan Goss – An American Gallery, Santa Barbara, CA
2013 Small Images, Atkinson Gallery at Santa Barbara City College, Santa Barbara, CA
2012 100 Grand, Sullivan Goss – An American Gallery, Santa Barbara, CA
2012 Small Images, Atkinson Gallery at Santa Barbara City College, Santa Barbara, CA
2011 100 Grand, Sullivan Goss – An American Gallery, Santa Barbara, CA
2011 5x5: An Invitational, Westmont Ridley-Tree Museum of Art, Montecito, CA
2011 Small Images, Atkinson Gallery at Santa Barbara City College, Santa Barbara, CA
ART FAIRS
2022 Art Market San Francisco, George Billis Gallery, San Francisco, CA
2022 Palm Springs Modernism, George Billis Gallery, Palm Springs, CA
2018 Palm Springs Art Fair, George Billis Gallery, Palm Springs, CA
2017 SOFA Chicago, George Billis Gallery, Chicago, Illinois
201 7 Palm Springs Art Fair, George Billis Gallery, Palm Springs, CA
2015 Red Dot Art Fair, George Billis Gallery, Miami, Florida
PRESS
Content Magazine, Issue 15.3, May 2023
Edible Monterey Bay, Summer 2022 Texas Monthly, May 4, 2021
Austin-American Statesman, Review by Michael Barnes, May 18, 2021
San Marcos Daily Record, May 1, 2021
American Art Collector, November 2020
American Art Collector, November 2018
The Santa Barbara Independent, July, 2018 805
Living, December 2017
Silver: Nature & Culture, Lindsay Shen, 2017
Voice Magazine, November 3, 2017
Santa Barbara Magazine, Spring 2016
Santa Barbara Sentinel, January 2016
American Art Collector Magazine, December 2015
San Marcos Daily Record, November 8, 2015
UPPERCASE Magazine, Issue 23, October 2014
Santa Barbara News-Press, Scene Magazine, May 9, 2014
Victoria Magazine, January/February 2014
Between Seer and Seen, Mark Robert Halper, December 2013
designsponge.com, April 2013
Santa Barbara News-Press, Scene Magazine, May 25, 2012
UPPERCASE Magazine, Issue 10, July 2011
The Santa Barbara Independent, “New Paintings in Old Town,” July 21, 2011
Santa Barbara News-Press, Scene Magazine, July 8, 2011
The Santa Barbara Independent, May, 2011
Santa Barbara News-Press, Scene Magazine, April 1, 2011
Santa Barbara News-Press, Scene Magazine, June 4, 2010
EDUCATION
2006 BFA, University of Texas, Austin, TX
SOLO EXHIBITIONS
2023 Blood Vessels, Billis Williams Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
2023 Recent Paintings, George Billis Gallery, Fairfield, CT
2022 Once Removed, Jane Deering Gallery, Gloucester, MA
2022 Potluck, Sullivan Goss – An American Gallery, Santa Barbara, CA
2021 Familiar, Commerce Gallery, Lockhart, TX
2021 Inherent, George Billis Gallery, Westport, CT
2020 Inherent, George Billis Gallery, New York, NY
2020 Belonging, Sullivan Goss – An American Gallery, Santa Barbara, CA
2018 Storytellers, George Billis Gallery, New York, NY
2017 Silver and Grey, Jane Deering Gallery, Gloucester, MA
2015 Revival, George Billis Gallery, New York, NY
2014 Equipoise, Jane Deering Gallery, Santa Barbara, CA
2013 Relatives, Jane Deering Gallery, Gloucester, MA
2012 Relatives, Architectural Foundation Gallery, Santa Barbara, CA
2011 Objects of My Reflection, Faulkner Gallery, Santa Barbara, CA
SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2023 The Female Gaze, Galerie Mokum, Amsterdam, Netherlands
2022 100 Grand, Sullivan Goss – An American Gallery, Santa Barbara, CA
2021 Real Women: Realist Art by American Women, Sullivan Goss – An American Gallery, Santa Barbara, CA
2020 The San Francisco Fall Show, Sullivan Goss – An American Gallery, Santa Barbara, CA
2019 Mixology, Sullivan Goss – An American Gallery, Santa Barbara, CA
2019 Getting Real, Chautauqua Institution Gallery, Chautauqua, NY
2019 Size Doesn’t Matter: Food for Thought, Louis K. Meisel Gallery, New York, NY
2019 100 Grand, Sullivan Goss – An American Gallery, Santa Barbara, CA
2018 JuxtaPOSE, Santa Barbara Arts Fund Gallery, Santa Barbara, CA
2018 100 Grand, Sullivan Goss – An American Gallery, Santa Barbara, CA
2017 100 Grand, Sullivan Goss – An American Gallery, Santa Barbara, CA
2016 100 Grand, Sullivan Goss – An American Gallery, Santa Barbara, CA
2016 Joie de Vivre, Westmont Ridley-Tree Museum of Art, Montecito, CA
2015 100 Grand, Sullivan Goss – An American Gallery, Santa Barbara, CA
2015 Summer Group Show, George Billis Gallery, New York, NY
2014 100 Grand, Sullivan Goss – An American Gallery, Santa Barbara, CA
2013 100 Grand, Sullivan Goss – An American Gallery, Santa Barbara, CA
2013 Small Images, Atkinson Gallery at Santa Barbara City College, Santa Barbara, CA
2012 100 Grand, Sullivan Goss – An American Gallery, Santa Barbara, CA
2012 Small Images, Atkinson Gallery at Santa Barbara City College, Santa Barbara, CA
2011 100 Grand, Sullivan Goss – An American Gallery, Santa Barbara, CA
2011 5x5: An Invitational, Westmont Ridley-Tree Museum of Art, Montecito, CA
2011 Small Images, Atkinson Gallery at Santa Barbara City College, Santa Barbara, CA
ART FAIRS
2022 Art Market San Francisco, George Billis Gallery, San Francisco, CA
2022 Palm Springs Modernism, George Billis Gallery, Palm Springs, CA
2018 Palm Springs Art Fair, George Billis Gallery, Palm Springs, CA
2017 SOFA Chicago, George Billis Gallery, Chicago, Illinois
201 7 Palm Springs Art Fair, George Billis Gallery, Palm Springs, CA
2015 Red Dot Art Fair, George Billis Gallery, Miami, Florida
PRESS
Content Magazine, Issue 15.3, May 2023
Edible Monterey Bay, Summer 2022 Texas Monthly, May 4, 2021
Austin-American Statesman, Review by Michael Barnes, May 18, 2021
San Marcos Daily Record, May 1, 2021
American Art Collector, November 2020
American Art Collector, November 2018
The Santa Barbara Independent, July, 2018 805
Living, December 2017
Silver: Nature & Culture, Lindsay Shen, 2017
Voice Magazine, November 3, 2017
Santa Barbara Magazine, Spring 2016
Santa Barbara Sentinel, January 2016
American Art Collector Magazine, December 2015
San Marcos Daily Record, November 8, 2015
UPPERCASE Magazine, Issue 23, October 2014
Santa Barbara News-Press, Scene Magazine, May 9, 2014
Victoria Magazine, January/February 2014
Between Seer and Seen, Mark Robert Halper, December 2013
designsponge.com, April 2013
Santa Barbara News-Press, Scene Magazine, May 25, 2012
UPPERCASE Magazine, Issue 10, July 2011
The Santa Barbara Independent, “New Paintings in Old Town,” July 21, 2011
Santa Barbara News-Press, Scene Magazine, July 8, 2011
The Santa Barbara Independent, May, 2011
Santa Barbara News-Press, Scene Magazine, April 1, 2011
Santa Barbara News-Press, Scene Magazine, June 4, 2010