LIZ LEGGETT: JOY & TENSION
DISCOVERY: Unfettered Painting
It’s hard to ignore the passing of time. The feeling is less about running out of time — rather, about time running away from us, and there’s a vacuum in our chests where it used to be. What do we do with the time we have? No wonder it’s called “the present” — the frenzied joy, tension, and control in Liz Leggett’s work reminds us to be in the moment because each moment truly is a damn gift. Liz makes the most of it.
“This new body of work happened when I decided to quit my job and rethink a lot of things,” Liz says. “I’ve had some epiphanies and felt inspired to work on large pieces. I’d always wanted to do large artworks on paper, so I set them up and banged out a piece that was different from anything else.
“I’ve been looking back to the person I was many years ago. I’ve made some dramatic changes in my life and with that, this new body of work emerged. It’s keeping my interest and I’m working in a series now, versus just showing up and taking each piece one by one as I have time. Do I want to articulate objects what I’m thinking about the world? A little bit, but I also like people to see what they want to see, to bring their own story, so I work abstractly. I don’t want to dictate what others see and feel and hear when they look at my work.”
We’re constantly directed by influencers, ads, shows, and even stories like this one, but it is a pleasure to make time to experience Liz’s work in our own way. The joy, the velocity, and the vibrancy of her work leave us feeling like we made the most of every minute spent taking it all in.
