Sat 26th March: Revisiting SHOWstudio's Leigh Bowery/Nick Knight Print Competition Winners

Leigh Bowery 26 March 1961 – 31 December 1994

Today marks what would have been the 50th birthday of Leigh Bowery. To celebrate the legacy of an incredible creative force, I am looking at the monumental moment that touched down from the angels looking after my destiny. That milestone was being granted the gift of an original Nick Knight print of a Leigh Bowery portrait. In 2004 Simon Foxton waved a magic wand as judge on a SHOWstudio "Guiser" competition and chose 4 entries to each receive an iconic giant artwork. I will explain more of my own thoughts later, but I'll start with another story, having located and contacted 2 other winners to find out where their print is now and what it means to them..........

First to divulge an update on their particular print is Miguel Jacob from Toronto, Canada ..........

Dear Fred,

The photograph that I submitted for the Leigh Bowery/Nick Knight Print Give-Away organized by SHOWstudio is called "Household Fame" and it features my older brother Luis Jacob, a very well-respected artist who has shown at the Guggenheim in New York. It was my brother Luis who introduced me to the work of Leigh Bowery years earlier and who was excited to participate in this project. For me, being an avid fan and admirer of the work of Nick Knight and of SHOWstudio, it was a great opportunity to possibly win one of these iconic prints. Probably like the other winners, I was pleasantly surprised and excited to have been chosen.
Once I received the print, which in my opinion happened to be the most outrageous of the lot, I sent it to the framers and placed it on the wall of my old apartment. As a professional fashion photographer just beginning his career, the image of Leigh Bowery served as a constant visual reminder to push my own boundaries in producing original and thought-provoking work.
In 2008, my brother Luis, along with Pan Wendt, curated a show entitled "Funkaesthetics" and asked if the photograph could be included in the exhibition. Naturally, I said "yes". These are two photos from the exhibition at the Justina M. Barnicke Gallery in Toronto, Canada:




In addition to the Nick Knight print, the gallery exhibited an original Leigh Bowery costume (on the right), as well as a copy of my December/January 1987 "The Happy Issue" i-D Magazine (on the left). Following the exhibition in Toronto, the photograph travelled to Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island where it was shown at the Confederation Centre Art Gallery.
Last month, I decided to reframe the print and opted on an ornate gold frame. Needless to say, I am eager to bring this piece into my newly purchased home at the end of next month.

Thank you for letting me share the story of my Leigh Bowery photograph.

Sincerely,
Miguel Jacob
www.migueljacob.com