In Leslie Wayne’s ‘The Unintended Blues’, large-scale paintings initially evoke the appearance of photographs. They capture melting icebergs in the Arctic, Manhattan’s urban sprawl, harbour construction and vulnerable U.S. coastlines affected by rising sea levels. Closer inspection reveals a fluid, almost abstract quality, underscoring the environmental crisis.

These works continue Wayne’s ‘This Land Is Your Land’ series, where trompe-l’œil paintings of airplane windows depict aerial views of the American West based on the artist’s own aerial photography. For ‘The Unintended Blues’, she broadens the scope to encompass watery landscapes worldwide, highlighting a global issue.

‘Artists are in a unique position to bring awareness to issues of great urgency like this by reaching the hearts and minds of viewers, not just with information but with the poetic force of their creativity,’ Wayne asserts. For this exhibition, she aims to ‘transport viewers with paintings that portray the splendor of what we stand to lose by our inaction’.

Displayed out in the open, the paintings become sculptural and environmental, inviting viewers to circumnavigate and experience different locations and climates. The UN refers to the planet’s rising waters as a global crisis for the billion people who rely on coastlines for their livelihoods. ‘The Unintended Blues’ is part of the 2026 River to River Festival in Lower Manhattan and is on view until September 27 at the Arts Center at Governor’s Island. For more, follow Wayne on Instagram.