Back in April of 2015 , hosted at City Arts Factory , Leatherman had a retrospective exhibition of images he had taken from 1984 to 2014 . He wasn ’ t sure it would pay off . However , to have old subjects come and see the pictures — many for the fi rst time ever — was a beautiful moment . “ People who were in the pictures 22 years ago came to the show and got to see them for the fi rst time .” For the exhibition , he had to comb through all his pictures to fi gure out what he wanted to display . After his fi rst look , he wound up with over 300 images , and had to narrow it down further . “ I only had one room at the gallery ,” he explained , “ to have that many prints would have looked ridiculous .” While exhibiting that many pictures may have been overwhelming , I would categorize it more as a collage for the heart of a community , and even with a more pared down selection , it was indeed . Leatherman sold enough works to chalk the exhibition up to a success in his mind .
In the middle of our interview , two members of the former Plain Jane Automobile greeted Leatherman . He had apparently known them before they disbanded and had taken their pictures . They all seemed
Lydia Lunch genuinely happy to see each other , and the interaction painted a side of Leatherman that I couldn ’ t get just from speaking with him one-on-one . This wasn ’ t just another photographer , on the sidelines , taking pictures solely for himself . This was an invested member of the music community — someone the bands respect just as much as he respects them . A man who has seen it all since ’ 84 , and is still active today .
Like many artists , Leatherman keeps a day job to help pay the bills . He would love to be able to fully invest himself into his art , but needs that safety net . “ My path is very crooked ,” he explained , “ but maybe I am doing things the way I am supposed to .” He is now preparing pieces for his next show — simply lit portraits of people he loves and is inspired by . He doesn ’ t have a date yet , but keep an eye out — especially if you have had the pleasure to meet Jim Leatherman , you might just see yourself .
You can see more at : JimLeatherman . com
Giddy Up Go
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