Jonathan Leahey (1964) is a sculptor who has produced much public art. It can be found throughout Australia, and in the US, Ireland and Belgium. The essence of his notion is to finance projects by pooling equal contributions from supporters, each of whom would receive a numbered miniature prototype, or maquette, of the proposed creation.
It is an idea he has had for 15 years, but whose time might have come - for it dovetails with the rising global phenomenon of crowd funding, where individuals donate to collectively finance events and projects. Around $6 billion a year is being raised globally, a figure expected to keep rising.
Given the quirky nature of his work, almost all of which is in steel, Leahey walks a delicate line; he wants to pitch ideas that push boundaries, but not to the extent they alienate those whose approval is required for the ultimate go-ahead. And he knows that because councils and other authorities have the final say on public art projects, there is a risk their desire not to unsettle too many people will lead to dull outcomes.
Leahey attracted controversy and vitriol (as well as much support) in 2011 when a Melbourne newspaper took umbrage over a giant flower he was commissioned to do by a council. The paper's headline was: ''Anger at $150,000 for sculpture based on drawing by artist's five-year-old daughter''. He readily acknowledges the piece was inspired by a drawing by his daughter, and wonders what could be wrong with taking inspiration from such a lovely source. He also points out two-thirds of the cost was landscaping.
Leahey spent years working in special effects and robotics in the film industry in Los Angeles, including on Alien, which was celebrated for its unorthodox costumes, special effects and design, and much of his inspiration comes from a desire to gently subvert conventional assumptions and methods. ''I am essentially an outsider in the realms of the art world …
One of his work in the Perth CBD, called Landed. ''It is two steel paper planes next to each other, one sticking into the ground and the other one lying on the ground next to it, and they are eight metres long. One is sticking into the ground with a footprint of 600 millimetres and people go 'how can that happen, how can that be'.''
© 2018. All images are copyrighted © by Jonathan Leahey. The use of any image from this site is prohibited unless prior written permission is obtained.
It is an idea he has had for 15 years, but whose time might have come - for it dovetails with the rising global phenomenon of crowd funding, where individuals donate to collectively finance events and projects. Around $6 billion a year is being raised globally, a figure expected to keep rising.
Given the quirky nature of his work, almost all of which is in steel, Leahey walks a delicate line; he wants to pitch ideas that push boundaries, but not to the extent they alienate those whose approval is required for the ultimate go-ahead. And he knows that because councils and other authorities have the final say on public art projects, there is a risk their desire not to unsettle too many people will lead to dull outcomes.
Leahey attracted controversy and vitriol (as well as much support) in 2011 when a Melbourne newspaper took umbrage over a giant flower he was commissioned to do by a council. The paper's headline was: ''Anger at $150,000 for sculpture based on drawing by artist's five-year-old daughter''. He readily acknowledges the piece was inspired by a drawing by his daughter, and wonders what could be wrong with taking inspiration from such a lovely source. He also points out two-thirds of the cost was landscaping.
Leahey spent years working in special effects and robotics in the film industry in Los Angeles, including on Alien, which was celebrated for its unorthodox costumes, special effects and design, and much of his inspiration comes from a desire to gently subvert conventional assumptions and methods. ''I am essentially an outsider in the realms of the art world …
One of his work in the Perth CBD, called Landed. ''It is two steel paper planes next to each other, one sticking into the ground and the other one lying on the ground next to it, and they are eight metres long. One is sticking into the ground with a footprint of 600 millimetres and people go 'how can that happen, how can that be'.''
© 2018. All images are copyrighted © by Jonathan Leahey. The use of any image from this site is prohibited unless prior written permission is obtained.
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| Gravity |
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| The making of Gravity |
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| Aqua Luna |
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| Aqua Luna |
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| Bend |
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| Bend |
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| Bookhenge |
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| Bookhenge detail |
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| Bookhenge detail |
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| Cut |
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| Cut |
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| Cut |
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| Detente |
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| Detente |
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| DNA |
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| DNA |
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| DNA detail |
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| Drinker |
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| eXert |
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| eXert |
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| Family |
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| Flock |
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| Flock |
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| Flock |
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| Grow |
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| Grow |
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| Hog |
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| Hog |
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| J Ace |
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| Landed |
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| Landed |
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| Natural Selection |
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| The making of Natural Selection |
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| Nest |
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| Nest |
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| Prospect |
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| The installation of Prospect |
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| Raven |
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| Ships |
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| The making of Ships |
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| Shod |
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| Shod detail |
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| Sinclair |
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| Sinclair |
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| Smoked |
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| Smoked detail |
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| Smoker |
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| Smoker |
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| Smoker detail |
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