Alfred Leslie, born in New York City in 1927, began as an Abstract Expressionist painter in the early 1950’sand was regarded as one of the most aggressive hard-core action painters of the period. He studied at New York University with Tony Smith, Hale Woodruff, John McPherson and William Baziotes. Unlike most artists who spend years struggling to establish themselves, Leslie quickly gained a reputation as a second generation Abstract Expressionist and was considered an important younger member of the New York School. From 1951-1957 Leslie had five solo exhibitions at the Tibor de Nagy Gallery, was included in the seminal 9th Street Show and was included in three Stable Gallery Annuals. Leslie has also been included in over 100 group exhibitions around the world.

Geometric abstraction and collaged realistic elements were sandwiched between Leslie's initial Abstract Expressionism of muscular gestural abstractions. Leslie's paintings, whether abstract or realistic, have tended to be monumental in size. As seen in this rare example, Seated Nude, 1952, structure and composition assume quiet key roles. The emotional roughness of these early works is evident by the careful order of the shapes and the manner in which the disorder clashes with them. The totality of each of these works seem to be bound together with an evocative purity of their apparent chaos.

Collections
Museum of Modern Art
Whitney Museum of American Art
National Gallery of Art
Hirshorn Museum, Smithsonian Institution
Walker Art Center
Albright-Knox Gallery