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Ian Leadbeater, AKA ‘Leggy’, hails from Grimethorpe, Barnsley. This exhibition showcases a retrospective of Leggy’s artwork from 2012 to the present. A self-taught amateur artist, he draws inspiration from a variety of painters and is predominantly influenced by the British and American Pop Art movements. Enjoy Leggy’s insightful narrative as you explore his paintings on display.

“I love Art. I’ve loved Art all my life. I nearly went to Art School. I got a place, but the plan was scuppered and I went down the pit instead. The rest is history as they say.

As a kid, I spent a lot of time in the Cooper Gallery- it was the only place to see paintings up close and I remember thinking I’d like to be in there someday. Fast forward some fifty years or so and here I am. Never thought that would happen.

My wife refers to my finished offerings as “nice paintings, but none that you would want on your wall”. She’s not keen on them. I’m not bothered. She understands that I have to paint. It’s a compulsion.

I just paint for myself. It’s exclusive. It’s blissful. Nothing else matters”.