ARTICLE INTERVIEWS LESLIE SNOKE

1. How would you describe your work to someone who has never seen it before?

Think of it as an interior designer's nightmare. I am consumed with perception of good and bad taste. Take, for example, silk flowers "planted" outdoors in a garden. They bother me because I cannot decide to which season they belong. Are they better to supplement existing blooms in a garden, or are they
better used to brighten up a dull winter day? This is serious. As for good or bad, I'm not quite sure which kind of taste that I have. It's got to be one or the other.

2. What is the most beautiful/visually arresting thing you have seen this week?

There is a tall, thin elderly couple who walk the local mall for exercise. I swear that every time I have ever been there, I have seen them. They are absolutely immaculate. They both have perfectly groomed silver hair and always dress in identical color and style—from head to toe. On her arm, the lady always carries a purse that corresponds to their outfits. They walk, arm in arm, in circles through the mall. Sure, there is something utterly unnerving about the two of them, but this is absolutely overshadowed by their sublime beauty.

3. How do you schedule your time to make art with a toddler running around?

I am constantly reminded of the advice that I was given as an
undergraduate student: "Never have pets, plants, or kids." Of course, I walked right out that door and proceeded to break each of the rules. It is true that I do not always have enough time for art making, but I have never lost the drive that put me in that conversation in the first place. Things happen in my head now, a lot more than ever before. I keep work in progress in my living spaces. I look and I look and then some.' By the time I get to the actual mark-making, I have already worked through many of the problems that I would have encountered in the past.

4. Tell us what you want to make next.

I am currently collecting bold patterns to be used in a
series of smallish works. They will be comprised of found textiles (things like old wallpaper from my basement and mid- century mattress fabric) paired with rigid surface coverings (wood veneers and formica). My challenge is to maintain the individual character of each pattern without compromising the integrity of the dominant scheme.