Joanne Leonard: Intimate Documentary, Photo Collage, and The Feminist Art Movement

Subtext and Discourse | Art World Podcast

Credited with inventing the "intimate documentary" style of photography, Joanne Leonard was one of the first to pivot away from street style photography adopt a more personal approach that focused on her close relationships and immediate surroundings.

In this episode we delve into her unique approach that captured the daily lives of women and challenged the male gaze, her use of collage to go beyond the limits of photography, and creating work inspired by the realities of motherhood which earned her a place as a feminist art icon whose work is now celebrated in major collections worldwide.

This interview coincided with Joanne's first UK solo exhibition at Hackelbury Fine Art London: Vintage Photographs and Early Collages.

Timestamps

(00:00) – Introduction and welcome

(02:19) – Growing up in Hollywood

(05:10) – The Family of Man exhibition

(07:21) – Studying photography and social sciences

(08:50) – From Hollywood to Berkeley then Oakland, California

(11:48) – "Intimate Documentary" approach to photography

(16:37) – Exhibiting at the de Young Museum, San Francisco

(19:44) – Teaching photography throughout the Bay area

(20:56) – Working with Collage

(22:15) – The Journal of Miscarriage

(27:56) – Being part of the Feminist Art Movement

(31:40) – Managing motherhood and being an artist

(34:29) – Gaining recognition later in life

(37:00) – Advice for photographers and artists

(39:42) – Official Winter Olympic Photographer for the USA in 1972

(44:21) – The Impact of Technology on American Life, NEA Grant

(48:42) – The Newspaper Diaries

Joanne Leonard is an American photographer, photo collage artist, and feminist based in Ann Arbor, Michigan. She is known for her innovative "intimate documentary" approach to photography, focusing on family, friends, and immediate surroundings. Her work delves into often overlooked aspects of women's lives, memory, and personal history, while also engaging with larger movements in feminism, civil rights, and social justice

Leonard was a professor at the University of Michigan for 31 years, retiring in 2009 after dedicating 40 years to teaching as a college professor. Her work has been included in major art history textbooks like Janson's History of Art and Gardner's Art Through the Ages, and is held in significant collections worldwide, including MoMA, the Whitney Museum of American Art, and the Victoria & Albert Museum.

- Joanne Leonard official website: https://beinginpictures.com/

HackelBury presents the first UK solo exhibition by acclaimed artist, Joanne Leonard. Vintage Photographs and Early Collages features photographs from the 1960s and 1970s and unique early collage pieces from the 1970s and 1980s. This retrospective offers an intimate look into Leonard’s artistic evolution and her innovative approach to visual storytelling.

- HackelBury Fine Art official website: https://hackelbury.co.uk/

- Instagram page: https://www.instagram.com/hackelburyfineart/

- Joanne Leonard: Vintage Photographs and Early Collages: https://hackelbury.co.uk/exhibitions/127-joanne-leonard-vintage-photographs-and-early-collages/overview/

Other mentioned resources:

- Hyperallergic article: https://hyperallergic.com/910133/joanne-leonard-miscarriage-collages-that-were-too-much-for-the-art-world/

- Guardian article: https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2025/jun/04/joanne-leonard-best-photograph-marriage-intimacy

This episode of Subtext & Discourse Art World Podcast was recorded on 12. June 2025 between Perth (AU) and Michigan (US) with Riverside.

Portrait photo by Eleanor Rubin.

Michael Dooney official website: https://www.michaeldooney.net

Instagram page: https://www.instagram.com/michaeldooney/