Drawn to ideas of flight, escape, and poetic blur, Jenson Leonard’s work takes form out of the collapsed context of the internet—often critiquing its slippage of meaning and techno-capital excess more generally, while pointing out its attraction at the same time. He solo exhibition “Workflow” is currently on view at Wood Street Galleries through February 11, 2024. The exhibition enters on a titular film that explores the velocity and momentum of Blackness as it relates to the philosophical concept of acceleration—the notion that the only way out of capitalism is through its intensification.

Leonard holds an MFA in Creative Writing from Pratt Institute, and has completed residencies at Obracadobra (Oaxaca, Mexico), Squeaky Wheel (Buffalo, NY) and Pioneer Works (Brooklyn, NY). His work has been featured in VICE Motherboard, Juxtapoz, AQNB, and Rhizome.

This lecture is co-presented with the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust in conjunction with Jenson Leonard: Workflow, organized by Pioneer Works.

Image: Jenson Leonard, Workflow (image still), 2022. Courtesy of the artist.