The artist Richard Walker took a series of photographs in 1975 that include rare images of inside The London Leatherman shop in Battersea and Vivienne Westwood & Malcolm McLaren’s boutique SEX at 430 Kings Road. Jordan Mooney referred to a photograph Richard took of her at this time as being one of her favourites.
Best known for his painting, graphic art, murals and prints Richards’s next show will be at Coningsby Gallery in London this summer, 2024.
Questions by Dave Carroll
Edited by Bridget Veal
Interior of 430 Kings Road with The London Leatherman product displayed on the left. Photo by artist Richard Walker, 1975.
Q. Richard, in 1975 you visited both the shops SEX and The London Leatherman to take photographs. Why and how did you come to take these pictures, especially The London Leatherman one’s, which are so rare when Ken was pretty strict on not allowing pictures in the shop?
A. I was in my 2nd year at Camberwell School of Art and we had been set a journalistic photography project called ‘Secret London’, so I went in the car with my tutor who was also head of department and a kindred spirit. She had previously spotted The London Leatherman on Queenstown Rd that looked interesting, but thought it was a private club. Meanwhile I had seen SEX on the King’s Rd and also thought it was private. So we went to investigate. Somehow we managed to get to take photos, I think we explained it was a personal project and it worked. However, I’ve mislaid the Leatherman images, but hopefully they’ll pop up when I stop looking!
Q. How did you come to discover The London Leatherman shop? What do you remember about it?
A. The London Leatherman with it’s wooden frontage and small window stood out in amongst its fairly humdrum neighbours. It was immediately appealing with it’s dark interior and fish tanks, if I remember. It was like a nightclub and because this was only 1975 it seemed quite extreme for the time.
Q. You’ve captured a pivotal time in fashion history with the 1975 photographs and you really had to have some guts walking into both of these shops, let alone go in and take pictures. How did you find the experience? Intimidating? Or not that big of a deal because it was pre- the hype surrounding punk rock?
A. Initially it was intimidating, but I liked that. I encountered Jordan and admired her defiant attitude, but I detected a vulnerability too. This is what she liked about the picture I took. It did feel like we were entering into a parallel universe. A little dangerous and claustrophobic. Even at that time I started to sense a shift in the culture and I was excited and ready for it. I’m not sure if I even knew the word ‘subculture’ at that time.
Q. Did you get anything from The London Leatherman or from SEX? Is there anything you wish you had?
A. As I was a student and didn’t have much money at the time, I only ever had one T-shirt from SEX the one with the ranting text all about ‘which side of the bed you were on’! God only knows what happened to it. I think it just disintegrated in some sweaty club somewhere. I was never really a punk, but used the energy to create my own persona.
Self portrait by Richard Walker taken in 1975/76 ‘This is what I call my ‘proto-punk’ period. As soon as punk went mainstream I abandoned that look.’ Richard’s wearing a The London Leatherman made ciré T-shirt in black.
Q. What’s your opinion on the association The London Leatherman had with the leather scene, gay interest and the new sexual liberation of the 70s?
A. As I was only 20 at the time, I had yet to embark on my gay adventures and as it was only 1975 the choices were limited, even in London. However these 2 venues certainly signaled there was a whole world waiting for me, so yes, 2 important cornerstones in the new era just about to start… couldn’t wait really...
Q. How would you say the mid-70s impacted your life and career as an artist?
A. Yes, a huge impact. It was how I developed my individual style. I became a bit of a rebel at college and rejected the course work, much to the dismay of my tutors. I was on a mission, and I saw my opportunity and I took it. I finally won them all over, mainly with my work ethic and dedication. Unbelievably they offered me a job as a visiting lecturer, which proved to me there was something in the air and things were changing. This period of development has been crucial to most of what I have done since.
Q. If you were to choose just one of your photographs from this time, which one speaks to you the most and why?
A. I think it would have to be my one of Jordan, mainly for the reasons above, but also because it communicates to people and is a document of it’s time
Jordan Mooney wearing her The London Leatherman LW3 studded wristband cuffs. Photo by Richard Walker, 1975
Q. Other than the SEX and The London Leatherman photographs, are there any other sub-culture references you’ve observed, documented or photographed as an artist?
A. Yes, many. At the end of ‘75 Patti Smith released ‘Horses’ and I felt immediately we had all been waiting for a bold statement like this. Up to then we had had Lou Reed and David Bowie celebrating the demi-monde and alternative lifestyles, but this felt new. The Warhol set had been hiding in plain site for several years ...influencing those in the know, but now we had a fresh input of new artists with new sounds and new imagery. I thought that the gay scene could merge with all this, as we were essentially all part of subcultures, which over the decades are now in the mainstream
Q. What can you share about your show this summer at the Coningsby Gallery?
A. Yes, indeed it’s the next instalment of my personal odyssey, the show is called ‘Revolutions Per Minute’ a title suggesting music, politics, fashion, the passing of time and the continuing forward propulsion of ideas. There’ll be key works from all periods to accompany a talk I’m giving called ‘Titian Licked My Ankle’ a virtual memoir, in reality a spoken word set of stories from my long career to celebrate my 70th birthday.
‘Henry the Horse’ 1978 limited edition screen print from Richards 1979 exhibition ‘Twilight Zones’ at Thumb Gallery Soho, London.