Leslie Alan Reynolds

Leslie Alan Reynolds (born May 16, 1947, in Edmonton) is a prominent Canadian sculptor who has significantly shaped Edmonton's art landscape. His artistic journey began in the constructivist tradition, with his early wooden sculptures receiving encouragement from American sculptor Michael Steiner in 1973. Reynolds' work evolved from large laminated wood blocks resembling walls in the mid-1970s to complex arrangements of flat sheets in table-like configurations later in the decade.

In the early 1980s, Reynolds transitioned to welded steel due to wood's structural limitations, quickly adapting his vision to this new medium. This shift led to distinctive sculptures featuring cylinder and tub shapes with attached lips and rims fused into surfaces, creating works that bridge functional pottery aesthetics with traditional sculptural modeling techniques. His later pieces incorporate strong references to the human form, showing his continued artistic evolution. Reynolds' influence on younger Edmonton sculptors was recognized with a retrospective exhibition titled "Inner Motifs: Fifteen Years of Exploration" at the Edmonton Art Gallery in 1990.

The constructivist approach that defines Reynolds' work places him within an important 20th-century artistic tradition that emphasizes geometric abstraction and the construction of sculptures rather than carving or modeling. His ability to adapt this aesthetic across different materials while maintaining a consistent artistic vision demonstrates his technical versatility and conceptual depth. Reynolds continues to live and work in Edmonton, where his presence remains an important part of the city's cultural fabric.