Leslie-Jean Thornton’s Garden Grow

Artist: Leslie-Jean Thornton Medium: Digital Photography This was taken in April 2011 -- a grab shot seen by chance as I was driving near Roosevelt in downtown Phoenix. The garden took my breath so I pulled over to capture the image. Suddenly, a woman appeared in the perfect hollyhock-matching dress...
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Artist: Leslie-Jean Thornton

Medium: Digital Photography

This was taken in April 2011 — a grab shot seen by chance as I was driving near Roosevelt in downtown Phoenix. The garden took my breath so I pulled over to capture the image. Suddenly, a woman appeared in the perfect hollyhock-matching dress in the well-placed branch-formed arch. Click.

I love how the parking meter grows in the flowers. The scene, for me, epitomizes how Phoenix comes to life fleetingly, vibrantly and in cycles, and how beauty is spotted by looking. Two months later, that was a dirt garden.

The countdown to Best of Phoenix continues! Last year, we profiled 100 Creatives who made a mark on the local arts scene. This year, we’ll have 100 creative representations of Phoenix.  No
scope or requirement on medium or size — we’ll include photography,
painting, sculpture, video, installation, literary, and more. What do
you see when you Imagine PHX?
Imagine PHX, so far: 100: Steven Revering’s Westward Ho99: Jon Ashcroft’s Suspended in Geography 

98: William LeGoullon’s Table

97. Jason Hill’s Phoenix Financial Center96. Kyle DeWitt’s Tempe Center for the Arts95: Allison Elliott’s Walls of Downtown Phoenix

94. Fausto Fernandez’s Grid City

93. Chikara Kakizawa’s Ship Out of Water

92: Dayvid LeMmon’s Process / Gentrification

Related

91. Irma Sanchez’s Phoenix Rising

90. Eduardo Rivera’s De Colores

89. Arnold Guerrero’s Camelback Mountain

88. Sean Deckert’s Ginae vs. the 12th Street Gang 

Related

87. Pete Petrisko’s Admiral of Phoenix

86. Quincy Ross’ Lone Skyscraper

85. Andrew Armstrong’s Illustrated Cityscape 

84. Thomas Schultz’s Phoenix Artifact

Related

83. Adrian Lesoing’s N. Evergreen

82. Suzanne Falk’s Kon Tiki Hotel

81. Lindz Lew’s Bon Voyeur

80. Kevin Patterson’s Phoenix Swamp Beast

Related

79. Ramy Sidarous’ Three Windows

78. Will Mejia’s Orpheum Theatre

77. Steve Weiss’ Portrait of Louis Lee

76. Larry Willis’ Apparition on East McDowell

Related

75. Claire Warden’s Untitled No. 3

74. Randy Zucker’s Dancing Saguaro

73. Robert Brandan Martinez’s Medical Cannabis Tax Stamp

72. Edward Jensen’s Phoenix Financial Center71. Andrew Knochel’s View from PURL70. Mark Dudlik’s Phoenix Rebound69. C.J. Dyer’s Bird’s Eye View68. Virginia Martinez’s Airport Scene67. Carrie Marill’s “It’s a Cowboy State”66. Eric Iwersen’s The Saguaros Have Been Here the Longest65. Danielle D’Aleo’s 602far64. Jesa Townsend’s Stars of Flowers63. Andrew Pielage’s Sandra Day O’Connor Courthouse62. Carol Panaro-Smith and James Hajicek’s Arc of Departure

Related

61. A Military Parade in Phoenix (c. 1888)60. Charles Anthony Darr’s Phoenix Haboob59. Lisa Marie Sipe’s Sweeping Succulent 

58. Brad Armstrong’s Phoenix Carnival 

57. B. Spiderman’s “… And I Never Did Get That Pony Either”

56. Colton Brock’s 810 N. 4th St. 

Related

55. Melanie and Michelle Craven’s Twin Cactus

54. 407 E Roosevelt St.

53. Betty Schlueter’s “The Sonoran”

52. Saskia Jorda’s “You are Here – Part I: Migration”

Related

51. Tempe’s Mill Avenue (c. 1930)

50. Michael and Kemper Goodwin’s City Hall

49. Cornelius Keyes’ Dust Storm Over Phoenix

48. Melissa McGurgan’s Home Suite Home: PHX

Related

47. Fred Tieken’s Western Civilization

46. Andy Brooks and Danny Stoeller’s I CACTUS PHX

45. Brian Brook’s Phoenix Arm

44. Kristin Heggli’s Downtown Architecture43. Jill Johnson’s Downtown Is …42. Peter Bugg and William LeGoullon’s Embedded

Related

41. Downtown’s Hotel San Carlos (c. 1940)40. Rembrandt Quiballo’s Cinematic Panorama39. Sebastien Millon’s “Phoenix. It’s Fabulous.”38. Howdy from Phoenix37. beth tom’s “we live here” 36. Merz Studio’s Professional Building35. Evan Wyloge’s View from 44 Monroe34. Harry Herz’s Hole in Rock 33. Jason Kernevich and Dustin Summers’ The Valley of the Sun

32. Laura Spalding Best’s “Tarnish No. 1”

31. Jac T Bowen’s Ferdinand the Bull and The Court of Flowers in Christown Spectrum Mall30. John Scott Goodson’s Civic Space Park29. Street Map of Phoenix (c. 1932)28. Rose Johnson’s Prayer of St. Francis27. Eric Cox’s Superstition26. Aaron Forjan’s Tone-Mapped Guadalupe25. Peter Martori’s Walking Central 400124. Greg Esser and Christina Felix’s DIY Arts District23. Vintage Orange Trees of Mesa

22. Stacey Champion’s Between Here and There

Related

And, hey! It’s lunch time. Check out Chow Bella’s 100 Favorite Dishes for some foodie inspiration. 

Have a suggestion for a Phoenix icon by a local creative? Leave it in the comments section or email Claire.Lawton@newtimes.com

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