Biography

Artist Leonard Morris' training began as a teenager, painting landscapes and portraits at Pratt Institute. In his late teens, he was introduced to the 35mm camera and changed his medium to photography. After formal training in graphic design and photography at Parsons School of Design and The School of Visual Arts, Leonard obtained several apprenticeships with New York advertising photographers. Leonard went into business for himself as a still life photographer at the age of 25. Over time, His interest shifted from photographing defined beauty, as portrayed in much of his commercial still life work for such clients as AT&T, Coca Cola and Ford, to creating images that reveal an unnoticed beauty of the everyday. At its core, Leonard's work celebrates the symbolic beauty of objects that are part of our everyday lives, but are often regarded as utilitarian or insignificant. The objects that Leonard chooses to photograph - whether a discarded dried flower, leaf or paper plate - are markers of our experiences, but are often tossed aside. His goal, through his art, is to reveal the beauty in these items of our everyday experience. Leonard wants his work not only to stimulate emotions, but also to bring a greater awareness of the value of items that are too often viewed as "ordinary." He feels that revealing the value in the ordinary opens a portal to viewing other aspects of life and relationships with greater appreciation. Leonard's influences range from politics and the environment to the simple act of observing what is around him. Often he asks himself, "What am I not seeing?" Part of this way of seeing, he believes, is rooted in his interest in design rather than just the photographic process. A partial list of Leonard's clients includes the Boca Raton Museum, Miyako Osaka Hotel in Japan, WNYC Radio in New York, and corporate and private collectors around the world.