Photography

The eye is so subjective. What one chooses to see, or not remains a mystery.

ARTISTS’ STATEMENT:

I drive a deep interest in place and how that shapes us, the interstitial connection of family, home, and the symmetry and parallels of nature. My work is influenced deeply by home interiors and interiority, the thoughts feelings, reactions, internal struggles of an individual, and how they are represented in a domestic interior space.

When I turn my gaze to deteriorating architecture, I see structures designed to be huge forces of permanence, yet they are continually being challenged, destroyed, and forgotten. They possess an engergized present–and presence–as they attempt to escape their fragmented reality.

Looking can be transformative, unsettling, and also deeply and pleasurably confusing.

My work is influenced by practicing artists Andrea Poe, Barbara Sullivan, Thomas Doyle, Amy Bennett, and Julie Blackmon.

PUBLICATIONS:

Leslie’s photography and visual poetry have been published in DIAGRAM, On the Seawall, Another Chicago Magazine, Wild Roof Journal, Brushfire Arts & Literature, The Closed Eye Open, Tiferet Journal, Mud Season Review, Western Michigan Review. Most recently, she was the issue illustrator of Up the Staircase Quarterly (May 2026). In 2024, Leslie won the People’s Choice Award in the Adair County, Kentucky Photography contest. Most recently, she was the issue illustrator of Up the Staircase Quarterly, May 2026. Find more of her art, process, inspiration, and behind-the-scenes @this.iswherewelive

Leatherwood Country Store

Nell, Kentucky

Leatherwood Country Store

Nell, Kentucky

Leatherwood Country Store

Nell, Kentucky

Leatherwood Country Store

Nell, Kentucky

Among the clutter—the shards of wood, layers of rubble, chipping coats of paint—there remains a gentle resolve. These places, often on the brink of ruin, possess an energized present–and presence–as they attempt to escape their fragmented reality; it is a story which tells us who we are.

Joyful Reverie

Joyful Reverie

Joyful Reverie

Joyful Reverie

Using assemblage and photography to examine domestic labor and material memory, I was interested in everyday tools and natural elements, using restraint and clarity to reflect attention to place, process, and the value of ordinary labor.