Natural Habit . Jim Banks and Leslie Zelamsky . July 3-28, 2019 . Fountain Street Fine Art . Boston, MA

My art making process is a natural evolution between two spirits; the spirit found in nature of the materials and the spirit that lives inside of my heart and mind. My work is also the result of repetative layering and unlayering. Glue, nail, hammer, layer. Glue, nail, hammer, layer. Over and over, again and again. Move this, open that, paint this, scrape that. Minute and grand actions that merge to become the piece that came to be, out of habit. The completed piece was created from the moments that came before.

As I work, I am in constant dialogue with the materials and the thoughts running through my head. I lose myself in the process as I think and feel about many different things. It might be the music I am listening to, my concerns about politics, the pride I take in my son, or the joy of watching the bird that flies in and out of my studio, collecting wood chips to build his home. This way of working allows for moments of surprise and mystery. Sometimes, when I can’t resolve a piece, I literally turn it upside down, departing from the original direction. I find delight and fulfillment in the unforseen forms, textures, spaces and surfaces that present themselves as the dialogue unfolds.


-Leslie Zelamsky 2019