Lesley Vance (artist) facts for kids

Lesley Vance is an American artist. She was born in 1977 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Today, she lives and works in Los Angeles. She is known for her unique abstract paintings.

Becoming an Artist

Lesley Vance studied art at two different universities. She attended the University of Wisconsin–Madison. Later, she went to the California Institute of the Arts. These schools helped her develop her skills as a painter.

Vance's Painting Style

Lesley Vance started her career painting still lifes. These are artworks that show everyday objects, like fruit or flowers. However, she later became famous for her abstract oil paintings.

What is Abstract Art?

Abstract art does not try to show things exactly as they look in real life. Instead, it uses shapes, colors, and lines to create feelings or ideas. Vance's paintings are often small. She creates them by letting the paint flow and moving her hand freely. This makes each painting unique.

How Her Art Looks

Experts have described her work as a special kind of "illusionistic abstraction." This means her paintings can trick your eye. They seem to balance between being a secret and a clear fact. Her art shows how paint can be liquid and how an artist's hand can move like a dancer.

Where Her Art Has Been Shown

Lesley Vance's artwork has been displayed in many important places.

Solo Exhibitions

She has had solo shows where only her art was featured. Some of these include:

• Bowdoin College Museum of Art in Brunswick (2012)
• The FLAG Art Foundation in New York (2012)
• The Huntington Library, Art Collections in San Marino (2012)
• Xavier Hufkens Gallery in Brussels, Belgium (2012, 2014, and 2017)
• The David Kordansky Gallery in Los Angeles (2013)

Group Exhibitions and Collections

Vance's work was also part of the 2010 Whitney Biennial in New York. This is a big art show that happens every two years. Her paintings are also part of the collections of major museums. These include:

• The Museum of Modern Art
• The Whitney Museum of American Art
• The Metropolitan Museum of Art
• The Los Angeles County Museum of Art
• The Hammer Museum

These museums keep her art so people can see it for many years.

Art Galleries Representing Vance

Galleries help artists show and sell their work. Lesley Vance has been represented by the David Kordansky Gallery since 2003. Since 2012, she has also been represented by the Xavier Hufkens Gallery.