JACKSON, WYOMING - TAYLOE PIGGOTT GALLERY is pleased to present Tenuous Logic an exhibition of collage works and artists' books by Lance Letscher on view from October 8th through November 21st, 2021. Austin-based artist Lance Letscher creates ornate, ethereal worlds of found paper collage. Underlying each work is an undeniable narrative built from imagery individually chosen for its, in the artist’s own words, “emotionless banality,” but yet whose combined creativity borders on the absurd. These shards of prosaic imagery from another time leap and bound within a carefully constructed composition, leading the eye on what can only be described as an aesthetic adventure.
This body of work, titled Tenuous Logic, was particularly inspired by architectural garden design, which one appreciates as your eye is hedged toward the splendor of a bloom in one moment or splashes into the depths of a pool of cerulean blue in the next.
Since the late 1980’s, Letscher has used the raw materials of wood, marble, old books and paper in such a manner as to remove them from their original context. As a youth, he cleaned out vacated rental properties owned by his grandparents and developed a curious habit of imagining other people’s lives from the traces left behind. Trained as a printmaker, Letscher’s early career focused on intensely conceptual sculptures of marble or wood: a doll-sized marble wheelchair, a dwarfed piano of wood, a rumpled child’s pillow in marble. In the mid-1990s Letscher shifted from his conceptual sculptures towards paper and collage but took away from his experience as a sculptor incredible patience and ability to focus on labor-intensive compositions. He began to collect antique paper, ledgers, old notebooks, diaries, letters, record covers, magazines and books from thrift stores, junk-shops, used-booksellers, and even dumpsters.
He meticulously organizes and stores these weathered materials, which he later surgically deconstructs and deploys, creating new narratives from shards of a memory. Letscher’s geometric and contemplative juxtapositions of color and pattern call to mind the classic craft of quilt making, which he has cited as an influence. Other frequent comparisons are to a wide and varied roster of other artists: Josef Albers, Piet Mondrian, James Castle, and Martín Ramírez, among others. Letscher’s most recent works explore notions of locomotion, technology, and the creative impulse at the heart of human nature. Letscher re-visits his sculptural roots as his collages leap into three dimensions, using vibrant colors and letters to cover the surfaces of such varied subjects as guns, motorcycles, rockets, tools and toy planes. A diligent and nearly constant worker, Letscher follows, with enthusiasm and gratitude, wherever his source materials lead him.
Lance Letscher attended the University of Texas where he received both his Bachelor of Fine Arts and his Master of Fine Arts. He later apprenticed for Amado Peña, an artist known for his Southwestern-style prints. He currently lives and works in Austin, Texas. His work is held in public and private collections around the country and 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.
Lance Letscher
First Woman on the Moon, 2021
Collage
40 x 52 inches
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Lance Letscher
Large Garden, 2021
Collage
40 x 60 inches
Lance Letscher
Bloom, 2021
Collage
40 x 60 inches
TAYLOE PIGGOTT GALLERY
Specializing in modern and contemporary art, Tayloe Piggott Gallery expresses a sharp appreciation for exceptional aesthetic vision. Based in Jackson, Wyoming, the gallery showcases sophisticated, unique artworks in a modern setting. Always interested in artistic discovery, the gallery expanded to create The Project Space: a collaborative place for the local and global community to share ideas, showcase work, host events, and expand artistic concepts. Mindful and thought-provoking, Tayloe Piggott Gallery aims to enrich cultural dialogue by bringing remarkable artists into an already flourishing arts community.
From first time buyers to seasoned collectors, our gallery assists a wide range of clients with the intricacies of collecting contemporary art. Our staff has the knowledge and expertise to facilitate art acquisitions, advise collection management, and curate the interiors of private spaces.
