Brian Leighton
A Unique Perspective
It takes extraordinary vision and creativity to look at everyday objects and find an inherent magnificence previously unrecognized. For Brian Leighton, finding beauty in details is the focus of his exceptional photography. "More evocative of Ansel Adams than Playboy" (New York Times), his celebrated work in nudes encourages the viewer to take a closer look from his unique perspective, beyond the corporeal to see the beauty and wonder of the body's landscape, earning him the distinction of "Best Nude Portrait Photographer," by New York Magazine and several other publications.
"Here Today", Leighton's most recent body of work, explores details of the evolving collage of New York City. When returning to the same street scenes that inspired him only a week or two earlier, the images captured had either transitioned into another visual, or had disappeared completely, never to be recreated exactly as originally seen be the artist. He became collage inspired when Time Out New York invited him to be part of their first photo annual, one of only 84 New Yorkers chosen to capture the city as they see it. Leighton's New York is a landscape of urban textures juxtaposed with bold graphics. As always, the details that attracted the artist and the images he captured are multidimensional, layering perspectives and focal points into collage-like abstractions.
In the his series "Mesh Screens" Leighton moved from exploring the anatomy of the human form to the anatomy of flowers, drawing distinct parallels as he captured the macro details of nature's most extraordinary shapes. This body of work explores the vibrant colors and exquisite contours of flowers while revealing nature's most hidden detail: movement. The textures of his flowers come to life through a unique printing process utilizing archival screen material. When combined with light the result is an iridescent and plasma screen-like effect that imitates the graceful and subtle movements of the flowers themselves.
An observation and abstraction of horizon lines evolved into two bodies of work, "Bleu" and "Beyond Bleu, which explore the panoply of colors and emotions evoked by the study of the horizon with its myriad forms and representations. The work was conceptualized on holiday in the Caribbean by capturing the horizon line over the sea from the same spot in the course of a week, and has since grown beyond that original representation to include horizon lines over water features of varying source and color. The results soothe and engage the viewer with their Rothko-esque seams between subtle yet distinct variations in shades of both water and sky, magnified by printing on watercolor paper. "Tropics," also inspired by the Caribbean, were the result of shooting the exotic elements of tropical botanicals, while being inspired by the fluid nature of the surrounding waters. Lush saturated color and a linear graphic element culminate in a surreal quality, challenging the viewer's previous idea of plant life. "Leighton has risen to the fore in New York City with art photography that has captured the attention of the media, gallery owners and collectors throughout the world."(Jean McKig, The Desert Sun).
His sensual and graphic work has been exhibited in select galleries, including Yossi Milo (NYC), Holden Luntz Gallery (Palm Beach), Lana Santorelli Gallery (Southampton and NYC), The Pearl Gallery (Stone Ridge, NY), The Whole 9 Gallery (Los Angeles, CA); and is regularly included in group shows and designer showrooms in New York City and across the country. Additionally, his work is part of many prominent corporate and private collections; and several museum collections, including the Museum of Modern Art (MOMA) in New York City and the Contemporary Museum of Baltimore in Baltimore, MD.
Leighton has been featured on ABC Eyewitness News, Fox News, CNNfn and 1010 WINS Radio. His award-winning photographs appeared regularly on the HBO series, Sex and the City and have been the subject of articles in The New York Times Sunday Styles, New York Magazine, Time Out New York, Domino, Vitals Woman, More; and, internationally in Dutch and both the British and Greek editions of Grazia magazine.
Leighton continues his work with nude portrait commissions at his NYC studio making clients the subject of their own art by finding the beauty in them they may not have seen. His work is may be found through select galleries, art dealers, interior designers, and direct from his studio in NYC; and can be previewed at www.brianleighton.com and www.yournudephoto.com.
