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Lesley Dill 'Rapture,' 2010

Lesley Dill
Rapture, 2010
unique cast bronze
72 x 66 x 46 inches
LDs 279
language: "Rapture's Germination" - Emily Dickinson

Lesley Dill 'Jubilation,' 2010

Lesley Dill
Jubilation, 2010
oil pastel, thread on Tyvek
78 1/2 x 88 inches
LDs 217
language: "Jubilation"

Lesley Dill 'Faith,' 2010

Lesley Dill
Faith, 2010
Bronze
60 x 26 x 18 inches
LDs 287
language: "Was he an animal that music had such an effect on him?" Franz Kafka

Lesley Dill 'The Joy,' 2010

Lesley Dill
The Joy, 2010
Red hand dyed mulberry paper, steel
14 ½ x 9 ½ x 11 inches
LDs 286
language: "The joy of life streamed with such ardent passion from his throat" - Franz Kafka

Lesley Dill Intoxicate, 2010

Lesley Dill
Intoxicate, 2010
Mulberry paper, brown paper, steel
15 ¾ x 16 x 12 inches
LDs 284
language: "Intoxicate Rapture Rupture Folly Dazzle Exhilarate Madness"
-Charles Dickens

Lesley Dill 'You May Laugh,' 2010

Lesley Dill
You May Laugh, 2010
Mulberry paper, steel
14 x 12 x 9 ½ inches
LDs283
language: "You may laugh but I feel within me suddenly strange voices"
- Salvador Espriu

Lesley Dill 'Spit Bite,' 2009

Lesley Dill
Spit Bite, 2009
Bronze
21 x 11 x 10 inches
LDs 272

Lesley Dill 'Rapture,' 2009

Lesley Dill
Rapture, 2009
bronze
figure: 7 1/4 x 4 3/4 x 1; frogs: 5 x 5 x 1 and 5 1/2 x 4 3/4 x 1 inches
LDs 274
language: "Rapture's Germination" - Emily Dickinson

Lesley Dill 'Seated Man with Star,' 2010

Lesley Dill
Seated Man with Star, 2010
Bronze, gold paint, steel
22 x 6 ½ x 7 ½ inches
LDs 282
LDs 268
language: "The wish for unthinking restles solitude" - Franz Kafka

Lesley Dill 'Ecstasy,' 2009

Lesley Dill
Ecstasy, 2009
Bronze, gold paint
14 x 12 x 4 inches
LDs 270
language: "Ecstasy"

Lesley Dill 'Every Utterance,' 2009

Lesley Dill
Every Utterance, 2009
Bronze, gold leaf and gold paint
17 1/2 x 13 x 8 inches
LDs 265
Language: "Every utterance opens silence." - Emily Dickinson

Lesley Dill 'I Envy Light,' 2009

Lesley Dill
I Envy Light, 2009
Bronze
12 ½ x 7 ½ x 9 inches
LDs 269
Language: "I envy light" -Emily Dickinson

Lesley Dill 'Seated Man with Word Ruff,' 2009

Lesley Dill
Seated Man with Word Ruff, 2009
Bronze
13 x 17 x 9 inches
language: "The man with a voice that seems to come from a hole in the ground" - Franz Kafka

Lesley Dill 'Dazzle,' 2009

Lesley Dill
Dazzle, 2009
Bronze
8 x 3 ¼ x 3
LDs 267
LDs 264
language: "Dazzle"

Lesley Dill 'Breath,' 2009

Lesley Dill
Breath, 2009
Bronze
8 x 5 x 4 ½ inches
language: "Breath"

Lesley Dill 'I Envy Light,' 2010

Lesley Dill
I Envy Light, 2010
Paper, black gesso metal foil and wire
34 x 21 x 3 inches
LDs 280
language: "I envy light" -Emily Dickinson

Lesley Dill 'Nimbus,' 2010

Lesley Dill
Nimbus, 2010
Charcoal, color pencil, foil on paper
38 x 25 inches
LDd 212
"Nimbus of anger fountain of speech" - Tom Sleigh, from "Chant" in Space Walk published by Houghton Mifflin/Harcourt
 

Lesley Dill 'Rapture,' 2010

Lesley Dill
Rapture, 2010
oil pastel, foil, thread on tyvek
97 x 181 1/2 inches
LDd 220
language: "Rapture's Germination" - Emily Dickinson

Lesley Dill exhibition announcement card picturing 'Rapture,' 2010

Lesley Dill
Show Announcement Card

Lesley Dill exhibition announcement card (back) 2010

Lesley Dill
Show Announcement Card

Press Release

During February and March the GEORGE ADAMS GALLERY presents an exhibition of new work by LESLEY DILL. The exhibition, Paper & Bronze, consists of large and small-scale figurative sculptures in cast bronze, sculpted paper, as well drawings in charcoal and collage. Included in the exhibition are two large unique bronze figures, eight small unique bronze sculptures, four small paper sculptures, one large-scale and two small-scale drawings. The work incorporates language taken from Charles Dickens, Emily Dickinson, Salvador Espriu, and Franz Kafka. Accompanying these works is the film version of Dill’s opera, “Divide Light,” which combines the language of Emily Dickinson with music, costume and video projection.

The two largest sculptures, both unique casts, are “Rapture” and “Faith” from 2010.  “Rapture” is a nearly six foot high perforated bronze figure of a woman in a billowing dress, a bird perched on her head and the words “raptures“ and “germination,” spelled out in bronze letters extending up from each arm. “Faith” is a darkly-patinaed male figure that is mounted on the wall and posed as if about to leap into the air. On his chest appears, in contrasting, polished letters a phrase taken from Kafka, “Was he an animal that music had such an effect on him?”

The large works are complemented by a series of smaller – 13 to 18 inches high – unique cast bronze figures made in 2009 and 2010. Among them “Ecstasy,” and “Every Utterance” mount directly on the wall, while others rest on pedestals or, like “Spit Bite,” hang from the ceiling. In various ways music is the source of inspiration behind many of the works in the exhibition, especially the seated figures, posed as if in full voice, which were inspired by the chorus that performed in “Divide Light.”

Sculptures in paper include, “I Envy Light,” 2010, a three foot high black figure surrounded by an aura of leaves whose three dimensional body opens on hinges, and “Slender Silence,” 2010, a white figure 18 inches tall formed completely out of hand cut paper letters.

Accompanying the three-dimensional works is a series of large (7 feet tall) and small (30x22 inches) charcoal based works on paper incorporating figures, words and collaged elements.


Checklist

In the Main Gallery

1.
Rapture (dress figure with bird), 2010
Bronze
72 x 66 x 46 inches
unique
LDs 279
Language: “Rapture’s Germination” –Emily Dickinson

2.
Faith, 2010
Bronze
60 x 26 x 18 inches
unique
LDs 287
Language: “Was he an animal that music had such an effect on him?” -  Franz Kafka

3.
Rapture’s Germination (figure with two frogs), 2009
bronze
figure: 7 1/4 x 4 3/4 x 1; frogs: 5 x 5 x 1 and 5 1/2 x 4 3/4 x 1 inches
unique
LDs 274
Language: Emily Dickinson

4.
The Joy, 2010
Red hand dyed mulberry paper, steel
14 ½ x 9 ½ x 11 inches
unique
LDs 286
Language: "The joy of life streamed with such ardent passion from his throat" - Franz Kafka

5.
Intoxicate, 2010
Mulberry paper, brown paper, steel
15 ¾ x 16 x 12 inches
unique
LDs 284
Language: Intoxicate Rapture Rupture Folly Dazzle Exhilarate Madness - Charles Dickens

6.
You May Laugh, 2010
Mulberry paper, steel
14 x 12 x 9 ½ inches
unique
LDs283
Language: "You may laugh but I feel within me suddenly strange voices" - Salvador Espriu

7.
Seated Man with Star, 2009
Bronze, gold paint, steel
22 x 6 ½ x 7 ½ inches
unique
LDs 268
Language: “The wish for an unthinking restless solitude” - Franz Kafka

8.
Spit Bite, 2009
Bronze
21 x 11 x 10 inches
unique
LDs 272
Language: a printmaking term; acid on brush painted directly on plate.

9.
Jubilation, 2010
Oil pastel, thread on Tyvek
78 ½ x 88 inches
LDs 217
Language: Lesley Dill


In the Drawing Gallery

10.
Seated Man with Word Ruff, 2009
Bronze
13 x 17 x 9 inches
unique
LDs 282
Language: “The man with a voice that seems to come from a hole in the ground” – Franz Kafka

11.
Ecstasy, 2009
Bronze, gold paint
14 x 12 x 4 inches
unique
LDs 270
Language: Lesley Dill

12.
I Envy Light, 2010
Paper, black gesso metal foil and wire
34 x 21 x 3 inches
unique
LDs 280
Language: Emily Dickinson

13.
I Envy Light 2009
Bronze
12 ½ x 7 ½ x 9 inches
unique
LDs 269
Language: Emily Dickinson

14.
Every Utterance, 2009
Bronze, gold leaf and gold paint
17 ½ x 13 x 8 inches
unique
LDs 265
Language: “Every utterance opens silence.” - Emily Dickinson

15.
Breath, 2009
Bronze
8 x 5 x 4 ½ inches
unique variants (10 intended)
LDs 267
Language: Lesley Dill

16.
Nimbus, 2010
Charcoal, color pencil, foil on paper
38 x 25 inches
LDd 212
Language: “Nimbus of anger fountain of speech.” – Tom Sleigh

17.
Dazzle, 2009
Bronze
8 x 3 ¼ x 3
unique
LDs 264
Language: Lesley Dill


In the Window

Rapture’s Germination, 2010
Charcoal, color pencil on paper
64 x 49 inches
LDd 220
Language: Emily Dickinson