Hugh Leeman is an amazing individual. This is taken directly from an article in The Bold Italic.
“His tiny studio is a mess of paints, a collection of floor-to-ceiling portraits, and a charcoal-covered MacBook. With no kitchen or bed in sight, I get the sense he’s focused solely on his mission: photographing, painting, and wheat-pasting the faces of the Tenderloin up around the city. They’ve become his friends, his subjects, and his business partners.
Hugh is quite a character himself. At 18, he grabbed his backpack and traveled the world, hopping trains to see as much as he could. Three years later, he was in the Tenderloin for a six-month stopover. He’s not quite sure why he never left. Inspired by the work that Shepard Fairey and others were doing at the time with wallpaper glue from the hardware store, a world of possibilities exploded in his mind. This self-taught artist had found his medium.”
If you are interested in reading more about the people that Hugh Leeman paints the article is fascinating. Or even easier, watch the video.
Hugh Leeman from Agency Charlie on Vimeo.
This is a fascinating story of this artist. Thanks for sharing.
interesting story. i’m not surprised when i hear people don’t leave the city. who in their right mind would? (wink)
Fascinating post, Principessa. Read the article and watched the video. So much to think about and a new way of looking at these paste-ups. I’m in awe of this artist, his values, and how he impacts the lives of his subjects. Thanks for contributing to this week’s Monday Mural.
Thanks for this post and the info – a fabulous piece!
What an unusual and fascinating guy. I cannot wait to read more about him. I love that his studio is a total mess, but he knows where everything is. Now I am going to stop and view the video. genie
The life of an artist, a mess of paints! Very interesting story of his life.
“Quite a character” may be an understatement. Certainly unique. And through his sensitive mural art he proves that “everyman” has a story worth telling. A thought-provoking post.
so AWESOME!
Interesting story and the photo is great!