"Paupieres in Oil" | Leslie Martin

Brand​ ​New​ ​Orleans​ ​Art​ ​Gallery​ ​is​ ​proud​ ​to​ ​present​ ​​Paupieres​ ​in​​ Oil​,​ ​a​ ​retrospective​ ​of​ ​local​ ​artist​ ​Leslie Martin​ ​spanning​ ​works​ ​over​ ​the​ ​past​ ​decade.​ ​The​ ​first​ ​exhibition​ ​of​ ​2018,​ ​​Paupieres​​ in​​ Oil​ ​​ will​ ​open​ ​at the​ ​Brand​ ​New​ ​Orleans​ ​Art​ ​Gallery​ ​on​ ​January​ ​6th​ ​and​ ​run​ ​through​ ​January​ ​31st.  

A​ ​self​ ​taught​ ​painter​ ​and​ ​musician,​ ​Martin​ ​draws​ ​inspiration​ ​from​ ​the​ ​likes​ ​of​ ​Rembrandt​ ​and​ ​other​ ​Dutch Masters,​ ​to​ ​recreate​ ​the​ ​iconic​ ​scenes​ ​of​ ​his​ ​hometown​ ​of​ ​Chauvin,​ ​Louisiana.​ ​He​ ​came​ ​to​ ​New​ ​Orleans in​ ​the​ ​late​ ​80’s​ ​to​ ​play​ ​piano​ ​and​ ​has​ ​played​ ​successfully​ ​as​ ​a​ ​jazz​ ​pianist​ ​for​ ​the​ ​past​ ​28​ ​years.​ ​​Paupieres in​ ​Oil​ ​​ pays​ ​homage​ ​to​ ​the​ ​blue​ ​collar​ ​folks​ ​on​ ​Bayou​ ​Petit​ ​CAillou.​ ​With​ ​a​ ​family​ ​of​ ​shrimpers,​ ​oyster fisherman,​ ​crabbers​ ​and​ ​netmakers,​ ​he​ ​is​ ​canonising​ ​his​ ​grandparents,​ ​uncles​ ​and​ ​dad​ ​and​ ​a​ ​lifetime​ ​of work​ ​on​ ​the​ ​barrier​ ​waters​ ​of​ ​the​ ​Gulf​ ​of​ ​Mexico.​ ​The​ ​romance​ ​that​ ​is​ ​often​ ​overlooked​ ​in​ ​the​ ​swamps and​ ​marshes​ ​of​ ​South​ ​Louisiana​ ​is​ ​a​ ​catalyst​ ​for​ ​Martin’s​ ​works.​ ​Rather​ ​than​ ​words,​ ​communication through​ ​images​ ​and​ ​music​ ​has​ ​always​ ​been​ ​natural​ ​to​ ​Martin.​ ​​Paupieres​ ​in​​ Oil​ ​​ represents​ ​his​ ​fierce​ ​love of​ ​South​ ​Louisiana​ ​and​ ​New​ ​Orleans.