{"id":2111383,"date":"2026-08-25T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-08-24T21:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=2111383"},"modified":"2026-08-25T00:00:00","modified_gmt":"2026-08-24T21:00:00","slug":"leslie-waynes-the-unintended-blues-contemplates-rising-seas-and-vulnerable-shorelines","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=2111383","title":{"rendered":"Leslie Wayne\u2019s \u2018The Unintended Blues\u2019 Contemplates Rising Seas and Vulnerable Shorelines"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"entry-content prose-colossal max-w-none\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-group alignfull is-style-default entry-header is-vertical is-layout-flex wp-container-core-group-is-layout-fe9cc265 wp-block-group-is-layout-flex\">\n<figure class=\"colo-post-featured-image wp-block-post-featured-image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1706\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/wayne-1.jpg\" class=\"attachment-post-thumbnail size-post-thumbnail wp-post-image\" alt=\"a painting of an aerial view of a shoreline with a barrier island and many rivers\" style=\"object-fit:cover\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Installation view of \u2018The Unintended Blues.\u2019 Photos by Cole Witter. All images courtesy of Leslie Wayne and the Lower Manhattan Cultural Counsel, shared with permission<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<div class=\"wp-block-group post-title is-vertical is-layout-flex wp-container-core-group-is-layout-0bc941e6 wp-block-group-is-layout-flex\">\n<h1 class=\"alignfull wp-block-post-title\">Leslie Wayne\u2019s \u2018The Unintended Blues\u2019 Contemplates Rising Seas and Vulnerable Shorelines<\/h1>\n<div class=\"wp-block-group alignfull post-meta is-layout-flex wp-block-group-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-post-date\"><time datetime=\"2026-08-25T14:22:25-05:00\">August 25, 2026<\/time><\/div>\n<div class=\"taxonomy-category wp-block-post-terms\"><a class=\"category-art\" href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/category\/art\/\" rel=\"tag\">Art<\/a><a class=\"category-climate\" href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/category\/climate\/\" rel=\"tag\">Climate<\/a><a class=\"category-nature\" href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/category\/nature\/\" rel=\"tag\">Nature<\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"wp-block-post-author-name\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/author\/kmothes\/\" target=\"_self\" class=\"wp-block-post-author-name__link\">Kate Mothes<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"wp-block-group alignfull post-share-group is-layout-flow wp-block-group-is-layout-flow\">\n<ul class=\"colossal-share-buttons\">\n<li class=\"colossal-share-button colossal-share-button--facebook\">\n\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.thisiscolossal.com%2F2026%2F08%2Fleslie-wayne-the-unintended-blues-paintings-rivers-aerial-landscapes%2F&amp;title=Leslie%20Wayne%26%238217%3Bs%20%26%238216%3BThe%20Unintended%20Blues%26%238217%3B%20Contemplates%20Rising%20Seas%20and%20Vulnerable%20Shorelines\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" aria-label=\"Share on Facebook\" class=\"colossal-share-button__link\"><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"colossal-share-button__label\" 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class=\"colossal-share-button__link\"><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"colossal-share-button__label\" aria-hidden=\"true\">Email<\/span><br \/>\n\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t<\/li>\n<li class=\"colossal-share-button colossal-share-button--copy\">\n\t\t\t<button type=\"button\" aria-label=\"Copy article link\" class=\"colossal-share-button__link colossal-share-button__copy\" data-url=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/2026\/08\/leslie-wayne-the-unintended-blues-paintings-rivers-aerial-landscapes\/\" data-label-default=\"Copy\" data-label-copied=\"Copied!\" data-aria-default=\"Copy article link\" data-aria-copied=\"Link copied to clipboard\"><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"colossal-share-button__label\" aria-live=\"polite\">Copy<\/span><br \/>\n\t\t\t<\/button>\n\t\t<\/li>\n<li class=\"colossal-share-button colossal-share-button--bookmark\">\n\t\t\t<button class=\"simplefavorite-button preset\" data-postid=\"477116\" data-siteid=\"1\" data-groupid=\"1\" data-favoritecount=\"0\"><i class=\"sf-icon-bookmark\"><\/i>Bookmark<\/button>\t\t<\/li>\n<\/ul><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>In <a href=\"https:\/\/www.lesliewaynestudio.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Leslie Wayne<\/a>\u2019s exhibition <em>The Unintended Blues<\/em>, large-scale paintings may a first read as photographs. Melting icebergs in the Arctic Circle, the island of Manhattan, harbor construction projects, and coastlines around the U.S. that are vulnerable to rising sea levels take center stage. The closer one approaches, however, the more fluid the imagery becomes, as some shapes and shorelines appear nearly abstract.<\/p>\n<p>These latest works follow Wayne\u2019s series titled <em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/2024\/06\/leslie-wayne-airplane-paintings\/\">This Land Is Your Land<\/a>, <\/em>in which trompe-l\u2019\u0153il paintings of airplane windows depict aerial views of the American West based on photos the artist snapped while in flight. For <em>The Unintended Blues, <\/em>she expands this idea beyond the frame and turns her attention to watery landscapes around the world.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/wayne-2.jpg\" class=\"swipebox\" data-rel=\"lightbox-gallery-477116\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1706\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/wayne-2.jpg\" alt=\"a painting of an aerial view of an iceberg\" class=\"wp-image-477125\"><\/a><\/figure>\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\"><\/blockquote>\n<p>\u201cArtists are in a unique position to bring awareness to issues of great urgency like this by reaching the hearts and minds of viewers, not just with information but with the poetic force of their creativity,\u201d Wayne says in a statement. \u201cFor this exhibition, I hope to achieve that by transporting viewers with paintings that portray the splendor of what we stand to lose by our inaction.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Displayed out in the open and supported by an armature of metal posts to present two canvases back-to-back, the paintings become not only sculptural but environmental. Viewers circumnavigate the works, traveling to different locations and climates while experiencing a kind of everywhere-all-at-onceness. We\u2019re reminded how <a href=\"https:\/\/science.nasa.gov\/earth\/explore\/earth-indicators\/ice-sheets\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">melting ice sheets<\/a> and rising sea levels aren\u2019t a localized phenomenon; it\u2019s happening everywhere. The United Nations refers the planet\u2019s rising waters as a <a href=\"https:\/\/press.un.org\/en\/2024\/sea2199.doc.htm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">global crisis<\/a> for the billion people who rely on coastlines for their livelihood.<\/p>\n<p><em>The Unintended Blues <\/em>is presented as part of the Lower Manhattan Cultural Counsel\u2019s 2026 <a href=\"https:\/\/lmcc.net\/river-to-river-festival\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">River to River Festival<\/a> and is on view through September 27 at the <a href=\"https:\/\/lmcc.net\/lmcc-arts-center-at-governors-island\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Arts Center at Governor\u2019s Island<\/a>. See more on Wayne\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/wayneporcaro\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Instagram<\/a>.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/wayne-4.jpg\" class=\"swipebox\" data-rel=\"lightbox-gallery-477116\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"2560\" height=\"3840\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/wayne-4.jpg\" alt=\"a painting of an aerial view of an iceberg\" class=\"wp-image-477127\"><\/a><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/wayne-6.jpg\" class=\"swipebox\" data-rel=\"lightbox-gallery-477116\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1512\" height=\"2016\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/wayne-6.jpg\" alt=\"a detail of a painting of an iceberg\" class=\"wp-image-477129\"><\/a><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/wayne-3.jpg\" class=\"swipebox\" data-rel=\"lightbox-gallery-477116\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"2560\" height=\"3839\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/wayne-3.jpg\" alt=\"a painting of an aerial view of a shoreline with a river running inland\" class=\"wp-image-477126\"><\/a><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/wayne-5.jpg\" class=\"swipebox\" data-rel=\"lightbox-gallery-477116\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1706\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/wayne-5.jpg\" alt=\"a painting of an aerial view of a shoreline\" class=\"wp-image-477128\"><\/a><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/wayne-9.jpg\" class=\"swipebox\" data-rel=\"lightbox-gallery-477116\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"2016\" height=\"1512\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/wayne-9.jpg\" alt=\"a painting of an aerial view of Manhattan and its rivers\" class=\"wp-image-477132\"><\/a><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/wayne-10.jpg\" class=\"swipebox\" data-rel=\"lightbox-gallery-477116\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1706\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/wayne-10.jpg\" alt=\"installation view of a paintings of an aerial shoreline landscape\" class=\"wp-image-477133\"><\/a><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/wayne-11.jpg\" class=\"swipebox\" data-rel=\"lightbox-gallery-477116\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1707\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/wayne-11.jpg\" alt class=\"wp-image-477134\"><\/a><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/wayne-7.jpg\" class=\"swipebox\" data-rel=\"lightbox-gallery-477116\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"2016\" height=\"1512\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/wayne-7.jpg\" alt=\"a painting of an aerial view of an industrial building site\" class=\"wp-image-477130\"><\/a><\/figure>\n<aside class=\"after-entry\" role=\"complementary\" aria-label=\"After Entry\">\n<section id=\"block-16\" class=\"widget widget_block widget_text\">\n<p><mark style=\"background-color:#88caf0\" 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All images courtesy of Leslie Wayne and the Lower Manhattan Cultural Counsel, shared with permission Leslie Wayne\u2019s \u2018The Unintended Blues\u2019 Contemplates Rising Seas and Vulnerable Shorelines August 25, 2026 ArtClimateNature Kate Mothes Share Pin Email Copy Bookmark In Leslie Wayne\u2019s exhibition The Unintended Blues, large-scale [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[226,270],"class_list":["post-2111383","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-crawlmanager","tag-thisiscolossal-com"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2111383","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2111383"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2111383\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2111383"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2111383"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2111383"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}