Wendy’s work stems initially from drawing and observation but ultimately she is in search of a narrative that is both personal and universal. Letven works in series that mark a preoccupation with the fusion of images from everyday life with the visualization of a more internal sense of the world. One medium suggests another, one image suggests the next. While this might imply a linear progression, themes recur, particularly those of a psychological, social nature. Our tenuous relationship to our environment and what it means to come of age at this particular point in time, are two themes that currently consume her.

Wendy Letven grew up in a family of artists in the Philadelphia area, so drawing and painting were second nature to her. Letven attended Washington University in St. Louis and Tyler School of Art in Philadelphia. After art school she moved to New York and received an MFA in painting from Hunter College. Letven lived there for over a decade before she moved to New Jersey in search of some trees and a slower-paced lifestyle in which she could devote more time to her work. In 2007 Letven began teaching art and design at Parsons, The New School of Design in New York. Through teaching  she is able to share what she knows and to continue to evolve as a visual artist. Letven’s work involves a lot of experimentation with different mediums. She moves freely from painting and drawing to printmaking and collaging. Most Sunday mornings Letven collages directly into her sketchbook after reading the paper. In the last year Letven has begun to explore sequential narrative in the form of woodblock prints and rostoscope animation.

Check out Wendy Letven’s personal website!