Art Column: Lennie West

Note: There are topics of mental illness and sexual assault mentioned in this feature. 

Within Lennie West’s first semester at Stuart Hall, he has established himself as an artist involved with a multitude of mediums. For co-curriculars, he’s taken creative writing and oil painting. The usage of pencils, alcohol markers, acrylic paint, and production of music have also all been tools for his expression. For Lennie, each artistic medium serves a specific purpose, holding its own unique voice. “With my drawings I express the worlds I create in my head, I paint to express how I feel emotionally and physically, and I write to say the things I can’t say aloud,” he states. The artist IAMX, a musician with poetic lyricism that spans many genres (a blend of acoustic and electronic styles), has been a source of creative influence for Lennie. His own pieces, such as the ones shared in this feature (see them below and their story), have included themes relating to mental health and trauma. Lennie hopes to reach those who might identify with his works, which have illustrated both the reality of pain and how creative inspiration is ignited even amidst hardships. His goal when reaching an audience is to "comfort those who are mentally disturbed and to disturb the mentally comforted". 

In Lennie’s experience, to be an artist has meant to allow his true self a mode of expression. “I feel as if my physical body isn’t me and I am only my mind. That mind wanted to get out, so I let it out on paper or with sound,” he says. Being able to look back at his artistic accomplishments has been rewarding; each piece for him is a way to remember how he was feeling and thinking in that particular moment. On the whole, the stories told by his artwork are rich with strikingly vivid emotion and an ever-present creative drive. 

For this feature, “Mr. Mystery” and “--- -- - ------ -----” have attached narratives written by Lennie West. These narratives provide a wider context into his artwork and their thematic commentary. 

Sckolher Berry