Leslie Nagel’s sculptures squeak, grind, tap, shock and crack.
The squeak of Styrofoam can give anyone Goosebumps. Foil can pleasantly crackle. It releases energy able to affect inner movements and impulses. Such energy drives Nagel to make things. She gathers materials around her like plastic, fabric, rope, polystyrene, because she is interested in how they react to her manipulation of them. Nagel keeps the material in motion and often use motors that let it swing, sway and tremble. With this collection she makes her sculptures. Nagel uses personal experiences to lead her, to give her an idea of where she is headed. Her work could arise with two elements: situations she experienced and material research.