Hart and Leshkina are a visual art and photography duo who bring the transience of time and human spirit to their work. Brought up in Los Angeles and Moscow, they work across art and fashion with an intimacy that's fast become their signature aesthetic. Oh, and they also happen to be the pair behind our SS18 campaign. Just FYI.
On a (mostly) bright and sunny October afternoon in East London, Hart and Leshkina were perched on stools positioning their the cameras for action. It was here that our new season campaign was just about to take shape. While the models got dressed we grabbed a coffee and spoke to the pair about their work.
Meet Hart and Leshkina...
'We both got into photography in our early teens. Photography has been a passion for us both but didn't become our profession until we met each other and decided to pursue it together.'
How does being a photography duo change your process of working or the photography that you create?
'Our work is very much about direction, being a duo allows us to have a constant dialogue and we are able to work holistically on creating various facets of the images simultaneously.'
Your work is often visceral and evocative, what inspired this?
'The aim of our work is to move the viewer and call forth a raw emotional response. We see our images as surfaces onto which the viewer should project their own emotions and thoughts.'
Who inspires your work?
'Currently its Boris Mikhailov, Gerhard Richter and Taku Sugimoto'
Describe the role that movement plays...
'Human body, its forms and movements are often a key tool in our work, we use the body as a translator of emotion.
'This campaign was about communicating the lightness while still maintaining an undefinable tension within the images.'
What are your relationships with your wardrobes and the way that you dress?
'We both really enjoy clothes but don't spend much time thinking about it. Our styles are pretty similar, we like to have our daily uniforms, mainly quality basics with some statement pieces mixed in. A lot of black and white with pops of colour here and there.'
