If you’re interested in leather/BDSM stuffs you are sure to know Bound Leather Zine. But do you who is behind it? I hope you will enjoy Pineapple’s last interview in 2020 this time with Steven Harwick, the creator/photographer of Bound Leather Zine. Check out Steven’s previous feature on Pineapple by clicking here.
Could we start with some background information about you? Where did you grow up, where are you based, how did you get interested in photography?
I grew up in the suburbs in New Jersey – about an hour outside of New York City. In retrospect, it was the perfect balance of suburban life and city culture. There was farmland, woods, nature… local music and arts scenes – and then once I got a little older, I could escape to the city some nights too! I’ve been Brooklyn-based for 10 years now. I started getting interested in photography through looking at fashion magazines. I’ve always looked at movies and magazines and immediately was drawn to the idea of creating worlds within which people could exist and tell stories.
When and why did you start Bound Leather Zine?
I started shooting Bound Leather-type content around 2014 after finishing my undergraduate studies at Pratt. I graduated and was left with a body of work I was happy with, but I wanted to turn my sights to something else and start a new project — a departure from the work I was doing in school. My focus in school was on mid-century Americana – pin up girls, old cars, and motels. It was a study in character and styling that lent itself to story-telling. After graduating, I married my interests in that retro aesthetic to the gay photographic history I often would look at and admire. I started Bound Leather as a means of exploring fetish culture through a more contemporary lens.
Rick Castro said to me once “Leather is everything!”. What does leather mean to you? How did you become obsessed with it?
To me, leather is one of the most intoxicating and potent energies that exists. It is a full sensory experience, and beyond that, has deep-rooted intrinsic meaning. It is history. It is the epitome of the word ‘fetish’, I have been obsessed with it for as long as I can remember – it is something I was born with.
What is the best thing and difficulties about owning a magazine?
The best thing about running the zine is having complete ownership and control over the imagery and content. I shoot and lay everything out myself – so it’s 100% my vision. I don’t have to answer to any kind of corporation, advertiser, etc. I can just shoot what I want and run it in the next issue. It is my passion project! To that end; however, one of the challenges would be funding. Since it has no advertisers or any backing, it’s not on any kind of print schedule — I print when I am able to afford a new issue. It’s expensive, but I find print media an extremely important avenue to keep open — the tangibility of actual image on paper is, in and of itself, a fetishistic experience.
As you are doing kind of sexy things, how do you handle instagram’s censorship?
To be honest, I work within the confines that Instagram has created for us. It’s extremely frustrating to not be able to show certain things, and in recent months even, I’ve seen more and more content get removed, despite being PG-13 rated at most. It’s hard to not feel perscuted as a queer creator. That being said, I try my best to just play by the rules for that platform. No nudity, censored images, etc. And then I have my Patreon (click here) for subscribers to see some X-rated content.
What does your process look like from the start of the new magazine to the end?
My process is just to shoot whenever it comes up naturally – I schedule things with people who reach out to me, or who I come across. We have a shoot and then I get the film developed or upload the digital files and just collect my imagery. Then once I have the financial capabilities to make a new issue, I’ll review the unpublished shoots I’ve done and then start to lay things out – seeing what looks good next to what. Then I’ll go to print!
If we compare the newest issue with the first one, what things have changed?
The first issue was pocket-sized and featured only a couple of shoots in it – only two models in the whole issue.
The newer issues show a much wider breadth of my work — I gather images from shoots over longer periods of time and include an array of models and shoots. I’ve also started incorporating more art direction – titles, credits, some graphics, etc.
What is the Bound Leather Zine manifesto?
Bound Leather was started as a means of exploring and documenting the contemporary leather and BDSM communities through a photographic lens, leaning on cultural history and traditional fetish imagery while simultaneously subverting those standards by showcasing an array of people more inherently inclusive than the long-established canon.
What are your future plans for Bound Leather Zine?
I aim to continue to shoot and gather imagery and then lay out and print some new issues in the new year! I also am looking into expanding into more merchandise – apparel and other homewares. I’d also love to grow the video component of my work and shoot more X-rated videos with the Bound Leather aesthetic. Finally, I also have a solo show opening at URSA gallery in the new year that will feature some print work from the zine!
If someone is interested, how can they become a model for your magazine?
I am always looking! If someone is New York-based or coming to New York (unlikely currently with COVID restrictions on travel but in the future…), I always welcome DMs or e-mails to try and schedule something if it seems like a good match!
I love shooting all sorts of people!
Who are your biggest artistic influences?
I have so many artists that I admire. I guess a trajectory that is applicable to the zine work of mine specifically… for a few years I interned for David LaChapelle, so he is definitely a photographic influence – I am so drawn to his set design and the worlds he would make for his subjects to live in. Two of my other favorite photographers would be Malick Sidibé and Karlheinz Weinberger. And then a list because I can’t choose: Bob Mizer, Kenneth Anger, Vaginal Davis, James Bidgood, John Waters, Kembra Pfahler, Thomas Lanigan-Schmidt, Ron Athey.
What do you do when you have time for yourself?
I work full time and have this zine project on the side, so that occupies quite a bit of my time! I am creative as much as I am able to – making sculptures, doing shoots, doing video projects, etc. On the occasions when I am not working, I am playing violent video games or reading poetry.
Please finish the sentences:
Deeply in love with … everyone I see.
The best way to sleep is … with your feet on the ground.
My dream is … attainable.
Photographed by: Steven Harwick @boundleatherzine / www.boundleatherzine.com / www.stevenharwick.com / www.patreon.com/boundleatherzine
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