Much of Leslie Rowland’s artwork is influenced by her graduate degree in environmental science and explores the subject matter of technology and the environment. Her process consists of layering paint and then carefully removing material by scraping and sanding to reveal a beautiful underlying form. It is a process not unlike archaeology when performed by man, erosion when carried out by nature.
Rowland’s technology influenced artwork expresses the notion that computer binary code has become our most prevalent form of communication, the new universal language. By using binary code to write positive and uplifting sayings that we are all familiar with, such as “I Love You” and “You Will Do Great Things,” Rowland has successfully humanized code and made it accessible to all. Code can be fun!
Her environmental paintings express the interconnectedness of environmental relationships into single images. An image of a bee, for example, can be comprised of images of flowers for the wings and more flowers for the body. These flowers would be species of flowers that the bee pollinates. The message is clear, that the bee’s life relies on the flower and the flower’s life relies on the bee.
