Leo Herrera Photography

Leonardo Herrera (b 1981, Mexico)
Leonardo is a self-taught visual artist living in San Francisco, specializing in photography, digital collage & multimedia. His pieces utilize a hyper-stylized aesthetic to deliver social commentary and illustrate contemporary iconography.
His images have been published nationally and internationally in iD Fashion Magazine, Surface, Camera Arts, Attitude, 7X7, DNA and are routinely featured in the local, alternative and online press.
"The concept of "era” is crucial to my work, which is deeply rooted in the politics and sexuality of the 60’s counterculture, 70’s gay liberation and early 90’s fashion industry. As a first generation Mexican immigrant and openly gay male, globalization, magical realism and camp are recurring themes in my pieces.
I am deeply moved by our emotional investment in the effects of time on the photographic process, how the yellowing of a print can be a trigger for nostalgia, curiosity or scientific detachment. I work extensively to process images and select palettes that recreate the muted rainbows of memory, borrowing elements of graphic design, cinema and fashion photography to create works that are both timeless, yet inescapably modern.”
HOMOSEXUALART.com Artist Statement:
"This work is about the homosexual experience. It is an archeological dig into the ruins of every gay man, the sacrifices offered to the gears of biology. It is a collection of portraits, still lives, photomontages & video pieces that illustrate figures and places relevant to gay culture. The silent earthquakes of adolescence, the darkness of the closet, the sorrow and fear of a plague. As we attempt to free ourselves from these traumatic experiences, as we assimilate into a mainstream culture, as we deal with increased visibility, we tend to sterilize a rich culture drenched in the sensuality of self-acceptance. This work is the loving record of a culture flourishing, yet asphyxiating in a sheath of latex, always in paradox, existing as both parade and funeral procession"
MARIA Exhibit - Gallery De La Raza June 6th-July 4th 2008 Opening Reception June 6th: Curated by Leo Herrera
MARIA explores the defense mechanisms and survival instincts of Latino Queers. Unflinching, yet tender portrayals of death, humorous and frank sensuality and reverence for rituals and celebrations; these are familiar themes for the generations of Latinos that have dealt with cultural identity loss in the face of occupation and immigration. When viewed through the prism of gay culture, these themes also illustrate that culture is not born of geography, but of a confidence as deep as the wounds of its people, and that it survives not through constant battle, but from a rebellious pride in history and community.
The show is structured as a psychadelic showcase of Magical Realism, Sex, and Gay iconography in the form of candid photography, digital collage, costume, video installation and drawing, all to illustrate how the microcosm of San Franciso's gay community is dealing with assimilation brought on by polarizing outside forces (politicians, the media), but also from within the gay community itself."I am circling around God, around the ancient tower, and I have been circling for a thousand years, and I still don't know if I am a falcon, or a storm, or a great song." - The Seeker, Rilke, Book of Hours