Biography
What does an artist’s work say about that person - their history, their values, ethics or love for life? Jeffrey Leder’s paintings hint at who he is…
The New York City gird - tall grey buildings, streets, a cold structure inhabited by many people, all too human. This is where Jeffrey was born in the 1940s. All this informed his upbringing, that which nurtured his being.
At 11 years old, his family in 1958 moved to Puerto Rico - a small lovely town 2 miles from the ocean called Fajardo. Suddenly, virtually overnight, his senses were stimulated. “I remember the twin propeller airplane from NYC, we arrived around 10:30 at night. As soon as the doors opened and I felt the intense, tropical humidity, I knew I was in a very different place. We walked down the stairs into the tarmac to the airport to pick up our luggage, then to the car to drive to our home. It was pitch black.”
“The two car road was laden with exotic sounds, earthy smells, garlic, spices, congas, people talking louder and singing. There was not much light but every once in a while a view of a store or porch. I strained to understand this new place I would be now living in. So much stimulus, I was young and absorbed these new experiences as sensations like a sponge. The next day I looked out my bedroom window there were bright greens, beautiful bougainvillea flowers in yellow, blue and red all across the backyard, a bright blue sky, small green lizards on purple leaves - a cornucopia of wonderful colors!”
One day, as an 8 year old sitting at the dining room table with his mother and sister, he started sketching the Gerber baby that appeared in a magazine ad - upon completing this his older sister stated, “That is wonderful. You have such an artistic talent, we should send you to an art school nearby for Saturday classes.” He was not interested in such things then - being more interested in the sciences and sports and girls.
Jeffrey went on to study Pre-Med at Michigan University. In his junior year his academic counselor called him to discuss the situation. “You’ve taken most of your science based curriculum, organic chemistry, invertebrate biology, it’s time you took none elective classes to balance out your education. Perhaps something in the humanities.” Jeffrey’s response was a smirk - like what? The counselor took out a list and Jeffrey chose a watercolor class on Saturday morning from this that seemed innocuous enough. He worked at the school library on Saturday afternoons - this class would fit in well. He took the class, “It was like I was hit by lightning.” He fell in love with both the painting (he started his first series with gauche on board) and the professor who turned out to be a New Yorker that attended Pratt in Brooklyn. Jeffrey was inspired by his professor, took many books home at night to read the lives of modern artists and their artwork. During classes, he would sit back with the professor discussing art as the students painted landscapes plein-aire. The professor encouraged Jeffrey to study art in New York. He applied to Pratt Institute with a recommendation from his professor and was accepted for the fall of 1967.
He moved to the Lower East Side of NYC that summer, worked three jobs to save for his tuition and pay for living expenses. His year at Pratt was one of enlightenment, the museums, the concentrated curriculum. and working stretching canvases to earn money (to live) helped to educate Jeffrey in the arts.
Jeffrey moved back to Puerto Rico in 1968 to deal with his draft board obligation, stated his conscientious objector position to the Vietnam War and prepared himself for the probability of going to jail, was arrested, posted bail. While awaiting trial he continues to draw and paint in Old San Juan.
While there, awaiting trial, he was invited to a one person exhibit at the prestigious Ateneo Puertoriqueño Museum. He sold half off his works from the exhibit, received many positive reviews in most newspapers, was approached by the agent Luigi Marrozinni of the Colibiri Gallery to represent Jeffrey’s artwork - as he did for seven years thereafter. After various solo and group exhibits in Puerto Rico, Jeffrey had a one person exhibit in early Soho in 1972 at the recently opened West Broadway Gallery. Barbara Rose, the highly respected art critic at the New York Magazine mentioned the quality of Jeffrey’s drawings. Thereafter, many more people attended his shows and his art began selling in NYC for the first time.
From that point forward Jeffrey exhibited in both San Juan and New York City for the next four years.
Your new works are quite stunning! The somewhat tense intersections of the geometry in combination with the
not-entirely-what-one-would-expect color combinations make them seem pretty charged up, while the expanses of white offer a good counterbalance.
Jason Hoelscher
Professor at Savannah College of Art and Design
I strongly suggest seeing Jeffrey Leder’s one person drawing show at the West Broadway Gallery in Soho.
Barbara Rose
New York Magazine
1972