Richard Leslie

Richard Leslie is Professor of Art History in the School of Humanities and Sciences at the School of Visual Arts (SVA), New York, where he teaches in the MFA Photography, Video, and Related Media programme. An art historian, critic, editor, and curator, he has published landmark surveys on Surrealism and Pop Art and has curated numerous technology-focused exhibitions.

Education:

• BA – Jacksonville University
• MA – SUNY Stony Brook
• PhD – CUNY Graduate Center

Leslie’s research centres on twentieth-century avant-gardes, with books such as Surrealism: The Dream of Revolution and Pop Art: A New Generation of Style shaping scholarly debate. He interrogates how technology mediates artistic practice, curating series like Digital98/99/2000 and Art and Technology.

His curatorial portfolio also includes historically grounded shows—The Prints of H. Daumier—and concept-driven projects—Concepts with Neon—demonstrating a breadth that spans nineteenth-century print culture to contemporary new-media installation.

Selected Awards & Fellowships:

• National Endowment for the Arts
• North Carolina Arts Council
• John Rewald Fellowship
• Samuel H. Kress Foundation

Leslie has served as Managing Editor of the journal Art Criticism and contributes regularly to Art Journal, Leonardo Digital Review, Art Papers and other leading periodicals, positioning him at the intersection of academic scholarship and critical discourse.