Nude Magazine:

Leonard Nimoy - The Artistic Journey - Winter 2008  

An Intimate Interview   By Carrie Leigh for Nude Magazine
                                    For Carrie Leigh Nude Magazine: http://carrieleigh.com/

The interviewer is invited to Leonard Nimoy’s home for the interview and shares that she immediately felt the magic of him when standing in the art filled office. She knows it is a man who spent much of his life deep in thought and the creation of artistic images.

Leonard takes her on a tour around his office.

First Leonard shows a photo of his grandfather and says: I made the print myself, and made it on an enlarger I built myself. Using the camera as an enlarger I bought a metal lunchbox stuck a light underneath and used the board as a base.

CL: How did you learn how to build that?
LN: I saw a story in a magazine called Mechanics Illustrated in the photography department and it showed you how to make it with the camera. We had the camera so I said: Okay, I will make the enlarger. A neighbourhood friend showed me how to develop the film. You would buy the chemicals from Kodak for about fifteen cents with the three chemicals needed, that’s how it started.

The interviewer knows what her feeling was when walking into the room: It was a man who lived his passions.
Leonard shares that he studied photography at UCLA and that he followed commercial photographers around town to see what commercial photographers were doing.
LN: A very good photographer, a successful photographer named Albert Watson, who I followed for a week, said one day, let me show you something. He opened a box showing some fine art prints. That was what he was doing for himself. And I decided right then to find my own way with my photography and to continue working as an actor and director.

CL: At first, what kind of art were you shooting?
LN: At the time I was shooting images using available light. In these images I was looking at how the light deals with the context of environment. Gradually I started to work on more and more female figures.   …

(Looking at prints on the walls): I am searching here, loneliness, fantasy, acting out a hope of a dream.

Here I am looking for identity questions.

Here I am looking for backs.

CL: You are always exploring, you seem to find a concept, explore it and then move on. Can you tell me why?
LN: You are right. Sometimes it helps to just shoot, but I find that if I leave myself open to a personal experience from the world around me and something pops up ….

(Talking about the group “Fat Bottom Revue” and the Full Body Project): I contacted Heather McAllister and told her if she put together a group I would go to San Francisco. I sent her an Herb Ritts picture (of Cindy Crawford, Linda Evangelista, Stephanie Seymore and Naomi Campbell in that pose) and told her I wanted to do this. I also sent her a pair of pictures form Helmut Newton.
It is an idea that drove me because there is so much fascination in our culture about body size. Women in our culture are most congratulated for loosing weight.

Next they talk about the inspiration by Canova’s early 1800 model of countess Paulina Bonaparte Borghese. Leonard was allowed to take photographs in the Villa Borghese in Rome. [NB by Margitta: Even with a press card you are not allowed to take pictures in that museum (Maybe it is possible if you arrange before hand). And I do understand that there is a fascination which emerges from that sculpture. It was a very special moment for us, for Ibolya and me, when we had the chance to look at Paulina while being alone in the whole room without the presence of other tourists for about 30 minutes. Because we wanted to see that wonderful piece of art in spite of not being allowed in there at that time, we tried something dangerous - and it worked. ;)  ] 

CL: I love your self portrait. Tell me about it.
LN: That is a thematic thread. There is a Japanese artist named On Kawara. We collect his work. A lot of his work is just letters on black canvas with the date. That’s all. It is a date on a black canvas. He is commemorating that experience, that time and that date. All he asks is that the date on the canvas has no meaning to you (the purchaser). I became intrigued with the passage of time. So, I bought a countdown clock that you set the passage of time. To determine the amount of time to set the clock, based on my life expectancy, I called a life insurance actuary.

CL: That’s incredibly heavy.
LN: Some say that, but I look at it differently. The actuary, based on my health and family told me I would live to 85, 86 or maybe a little older. So, I figured around 5.000 days, set the clock and it started ticking. (Laughing)

Leonard talks about a photographic project on time. He shot a photo every 2 seconds.
About the self portrait (s. a.): … it has to do with my acting experience as well. I play two different people here.

CL: I understand that you have a concept before you begin to shoot. Since the outcome cannot be planned can you explain how you feel when your concept comes to life through your lens and your direction?
LN: This is like starting a love affair. The adrenalin rushes, the heart beats faster and you’re into the experience. Then it is a matter of enjoying the ride.

Closing note by Carrie Leigh:
Leonard Nimoy is one of those rare individuals whose talents run deep and fruitful.
His acting, poetry and photography all reflect the man inside. One only needs to look at his vast body of work to feel the strength of his soul.