American Diplomacy: Revised by Jeff Wallace

American Diplomacy: Revised

2018

Mixed media on canvas

41.75 x 38 x 1.25 inches

American Diplomacy: Revised was created in 2018 for the exhibition, Processed Prose, at the Swenson Gallery in Miami, Florida during National Poetry Month. Wallace uses books as both material and color palette – time worn blank pages and cloths removed from discarded books are assembled to create the collage-based paintings. Titles ar

The origins of Jeff Wallace’s work lay in personal experience: in 2012, as elderly relatives began showing signs of failing health and memory loss he was left to manage their personal effects. Gathering and organizing their correspondence, papers, photographs and books, he recognized how the various ephemera together formed a distinct, personal narrative, documenting a sequence of moments that collectively recount a lifetime.

In his work, Wallace explores the role of revision and palimpsest as it relates to memory – the continuous process through which stories overlap, become diluted or erased over time.

‘My paintings and installations are constructions that amplify the relationship between time and memory. I use materials – primarily paper – that may be familiar to a viewer, but are not immediately recognizable out of context. With this medium, I am interested in preserving the ‘what was’ and in elevating the ‘as is’ to represent what remains present in memory with the passing of time – the colors, light, shapes and patterns of what is encountered in daily life.’

Wallace’s work has been exhibited in numerous New York venues including The Empty Circle (2026); Jane Lombard Gallery (2025); DFN Projects with Craven Contemporary (2023); Cristin Tierney Gallery (2020/21); Rick Wester Fine Arts (2019); Main Window Dumbo (2019); Lichtundfire Gallery (2017-19); Spring Break at Moynihan Station (2016); and in Miami, Florida at the Swenson Gallery (2018). Wallace was Artist of the Season 2025 at Shoppe Object in New York City. His work and studio practice have been featured, both online and in print, including: Art Matters Podcast and A Life Creative Podcast (2025); The Coastal Post, Social Distancing/ Remote Visits; Art Circuit/Critic’s Choice by Anne Tschida (online); and WRPD Magazine, Profile/In You I Measure Time (print).

Wallace divides his time between his studio in Red Hook, Brooklyn and Lecce, Italy. If you would like further information on the piece or the artist, please email us at hello@thegreypearl.com