Perth born and bred Leon Krasenstein is making a name for himself in Sydney with his niche gallery Friends of Leon. It’s a home to fashion illustration and pop art with Perth girl and sometime street artist Jodee Knowles holding her second show there this March. In fact, Krasenstein has an affinity for Perth artists, Knowles one of three Perth girls to have exhibited there in the past 12 months and our own Stormie Mills makes an appearance there this September in a show called The Dirty Dozen.
But the art is just one facet of Krasenstein’s gallery. His background in set design – one which sees him creating the set for an upcoming John Bell (of Bell Shakespeare) production – and fashion has seen him create fashion shoots to promote the artists appearing at his gallery. For illustrator Alexandra Lekias, Krasentstein captured her wrapped in fur, technicolour paint dripping from her eyes. For Knowles, the imagery is much darker, the artist emerging from shadows, eyes done up like one of the characters from her paintings.
With a wealth of visual treats already behind him – both in terms of exhibitions and fashion shoots – Krasenstein is getting set to release a book depicting the strength of his gallery, proving that yes, a Perth can make it in the big smoke, as long as your vision is just as big as your passion.
What can you tell us about the book you are currently working on?
Carine Thévenau, a photographer, has been photographing some of the exhibitions that I’ve been curating for the last year and a half. Unlike most of the galleries I’m really focussed on giving the artist an identity. In unearthing talent I’m very much about giving people insight into the character of the person. So I’ve been art directing and styling shoots with all of our artists. So in terms of the book it will be lightly about the gallery and what we do but also about the artists and their sense of style. So it’ll be a kind of bible about the gallery.
What do you look for in an artist?
I’m for something different and innovative. Something that is definitely a different angle. I’ve done a few trips overseas that have largely been unsuccessful so now I find most of my artists on the internet. But it’s hard to find an artist who is in the right demographic, the right price point and someone who will sell. I do this because I love it, yes, but I’m not silly and in order to do what I do I have to be able to sell work to justify it.
What advice do you have, as a gallery owner, to someone who is looking to collect art?
I only take on artists if I would buy their work myself. I have to have that with artists. I need people to see that I’m passionate about their work. You need to want to look at it everyday. It needs to speak to you, captivates you and has to be made well. I’ve bought stuff in the past that hasn’t lasted. So go with quality, something that attracts your eye and something that you feel for.
Jodee Knowles Independent of Time opens at Friends of Leon Gallery from March 17. For more information on Friends of Leon visit www.friendsofleon.com
Scott-Patrick Mitchell
