Oddments of the Lean State
2025 | Whitespace Gallery
Atlanta, Georgia
Oddments: a remnant or part of something left over; of the Lean State is Thomas Jefferson speaking of “the lean state of your soil.” His full remark was in my 1996 Art Papers Artist Page: “I suspect that the insects which have harassed you have been encouraged by the feebleness of your plants; and that has been produced by the lean state of your soil.”
“The prominence of this quote raises the specter (as does Lide in her statement) of politics, if we can even describe what is currently happening in our country as politics, and begs the question: Who among us are the “insects” doing the harassing and which of us are the feeble plants? How did we let our proverbial soil get so lean? So surely, some of Lide’s attempt at order is both a way of seeing and a search for meaning.” -Donna Mintz, ARTSATL, March 25, 2025
“Oddments of the Lean State is like a garden Lide has sewn. Her art and experiences over the years making for proverbial seeds recur and tender this cozy and considerable exhibition, blossoming again. An ambitious retrospective encompassing Lide’s long career as an artist. This remnant of a remnant blooms again. Ultimately it champions a steadfast artist and inspiration in committing oneself to a life of artmaking.” -Noah Reyes, Number: Inc, May 22, 2025
Oddments of the Lean State recontextualized objects from 18 of my installations (1980-2020) and integrated them with new pieces created since 2020. I have made site-specific installations, drawings, and artists’ books for 45 years, keeping specimens from most projects. At Atlanta Contemporary (Nexus) in 1984, I placed pieces out of original contexts in an environmental installation discussed by Xenia Zed and Alan Sondheim in Sept/Oct 1984 Art Papers. That review resurfaced at the time I again became fascinated with combining different projects/subjects/time periods.
My work has always had a conceptual base, materials chosen for messaging. Made and found objects, held for years, feel saturated with memories and time. Issues addressed previously are still around: war, dictators, women’s healthcare, greed, and growth.
This installation includes chairs, ladders, and a handmade record player from past projects. Sound and video. No pedestals typical of a gallery. Not many framed drawings hung on walls. Not a retrospective.
With the help of woodworker Malina Rodriguez, wooden structures made from repurposed wood supported combinations of objects, redefining their meanings with my stream of consciousness placements.
