‘Hope of deliverance from the darkness that surrounds us’
‘And they promised us the world … in Hooverville’* (© Leech 1992)
That fabulous Mersey mop-topped maestro Paul McCartney wrote this post’s title’s lyrics way back in ’92 and they resonate true today. Inequality and disparity reside in every rat-ridden doorway, under every dank, derelict bridge and inside 99% of inner-city high-rise ‘scum-streets’ (as muttered off the record by Tory Councillor for Sittingbourne, Jerrence Mallanby-Birch). The still image reveals more than any words ever could. Context is prescribed by the eye of the beholder, a framed perception that defies contesting.
It is only through capturing and documenting these cesspits of filth that a better future can be achieved. Therefore, it is with great honour and pride that I can announce the imminent publication of a vital phot-tome by a truly great citizen and filmic auteur, Kenneth Leech. Not only is he a trusted friend of my charitable causes, but, his provocative visi-texts and antagonistic art continue to stir the embers of complacency at the seats of power. Forever rustling feathers and hustling bell-wethers in the pursuit of integrity and honesty , ‘Kenny’ mashes up pop-cultural history with searing commentary that sadly reminds that these problems are not today’s problems, but, the mistakes of the past that perpetually haunt the present.
Like his near contemporary, incognito graffito Banksy, Leech blends his anti-capitalist critiques with everyday reference points (e.g. *The Christians and Bucks Fizz+ lyric inspired captions) in order to be understood by everyone, speaking on the level, ‘never above, never beneath’ is his modus operendi.
‘My camera never lies, so I’ll put you in the picture and cut it down to size’+ (Leech © 1994)
His work has seen him travel and explore the outer reaches of the globe along the way encountering many remarkable people which have suffered grave indignities. When pressed by the Alan Nobel Committee © on his motivations Kenny humbly said:
‘I always used to walk hurriedly past and through life at haste, never seeing what was clearly in front of me. It was meeting Mick Talbot, ex-British Armed Forces, that my eyes and ears were turned towards a greater issue, that of horrific disparity in society and that continued ignorance would only make matters much worse. It was from this awakening that I vowed to make a difference so I bought a camera and sought to tell the stories beneath the surface. The hidden stories from the submerged people who have fallen down the cracks in the system’s pavements, their voices and their tales need hearing and telling’
With 5% of all proceeds going to charity, treat your families and friends with this hard-hitting expose of the real state of the nation.
Buy: http://www.skindeepsecrets.com
Quote code LEECH20 for a tax deductible discount
REVIEWS
‘Kenny’s new gloriously glossy hard backed book is a must for all des-res coffee tables this Christmas. Hard-hitting and emotive.’ Nina Myskow, TV Times
***** Help for Heroes
‘In the age of image over stimulation this book reminds us of the power latent in the artists’s eye, each and every snap in this collection a stark and gut-wrenching prod to the conscience’ Tallulah Getty II, GettyCorps.