Leigh French
Leigh French
1969-2023
On Sunday 28 May, writer, editor and artist Leigh French died unexpectedly at home in Lochwinnoch. Leigh was well known to many people for being the editor of Variant magazine from 1996 to 2012. In that role, he nurtured and encouraged many writers throughout the UK and Ireland, but more fundamentally, he relentlessly questioned the idea of what a cultural magazine might do: instead of passing judgement on recent exhibitions, Variant featured highly original critiques of the implications of culture, as a field, in social and political policy. The magazine did not have a single political agenda, other than the belief that art and culture were themselves always political. It explored the broadest ramifications of cultural policy in an uncompromising and often fearless manner: very often, those at the butt of these investigations did not appreciate the attention, and other editors might have sought a more comfortable niche. But for Leigh, there was no point producing criticism if it didn’t also introduce a possibility of social transformation – and to do that, it needed to be honest, even when that made for discomfort.
Leigh grew up in South Yorkshire and studied sculpture at the Slade in London, moving to Scotland in 1993 to continue his studies at Glasgow School of Art, where he started to develop an idea of his own artistic practice as something that could move beyond the production of objects to be something durational, collaborative and genuinely social. Just a year later, the first incarnation of Variant magazine, published in Glasgow since 1984 under Malcolm Dickson’s editorship, ceased publication, when the Scottish Arts Council pulled its funding.
With former Variant contributor Billy Clark, Leigh sought approval from the magazine’s publishers and editor to restart the magazine in a new format, as a tabloid newspaper distributed free to arts venues around the country. Permission was given and the opening pages of the new magazine featured excerpts from the many complaints sent to the SAC to protest the earlier funding cut, the magazine establishing immediately the confrontational approach it would take to those who control cultural funds, and who can thus use cultural policy to shape society in their own image. This new incarnation of Variant quickly achieved recognition beyond Scotland, largely thanks to Leigh and associates, notably including Paula Larkin.
The years of the new magazine coincided with the New Labour era, and the wide-ranging attempts of the UK government to engineer society through culture became a recurrent target of Variant’s criticism. Throughout this time, Leigh facilitated and participated in events all around the country, quietly promoting Variant, encouraging new voices, and funnelling any payment he received back into the magazine, so that he could pay others. Leigh’s co-editors came and went, and by the late 2000s an editorial group had formed; Variant remained, however, a personal project and labour of love for Leigh, even as he attempted to devolve control of different aspects. When once again, in 2012, a funding cut (this time from the SAC’s successor, Creative Scotland) meant that Variant ceased production definitively, Leigh and the group fought a long battle to challenge the decision, ultimately without success.
Losing the magazine inevitably hurt Leigh deeply and removed from him a project that he had managed to support through some extremely lean times. Other events and distribution networks followed, including The Strickland Distribution with fellow editors of Variant, with support from a great range of sympathetic organisations and individuals, in Glasgow and further afield. His PhD on Scottish cultural nationalism would undoubtedly have been the major critical work on the topic, but sadly was never completed. Leigh continued to contribute to the thinking and writing of so many, making incisive editorial contributions to dissertations, articles, chapters and books, though he often refused even the suggestion of payment.
Leigh had been suffering from long Covid for some time since the pandemic, although his famously mischievous humour was undiminished, and he regularly cycled into Glasgow from Lochwinnoch to keep up with friends and discuss tactics.
The editorial group had reconvened in 2022 to discuss a new special issue of the magazine, in print, following an offer of funding. That project never happened, which is a huge sadness to all of us who were involved. It’s a testament to Leigh’s truly relentless energy, focus and determination, his unique personality and his undoubted impact on the political and cultural scene that so many people in Scotland, the UK and elsewhere are already missing him so much.
Sleep well Leigh.
The Variant editorial group
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Thanks Mike. Leigh deserved much better. He gave his best.
Leigh showed us how art and culture can be done differently. He was such a warm and generous human and passing is a deep loss for us all.
Thanks for this. Leigh an I lived on same close and I would often be roped into lugging newspapers around. We never could figure out how we met, so to avoid embarrassments never asked about our pasts, in case we already had. There seemed no end to Leighs knowledge but perhaps it was his knack of making connections. I’m going to miss him. I was meant to cycle over to lochwinnoch from Dunoon to meet up…
Leigh understood people. He’d giggle. That way he lifted his shoulders up and down when he found something funny. I watched him and one of our mutual friends hold hands drunkenly walking down the road. It was years ago. Our friend, like me, is gay. When I next met him, I complimented him with the fact that I really loved that a straight man and a gay man could hold hands walking down the road. Like lovely brothers. I have to say that Leigh and i got a bit drunk that night and as we staggered home he reached out and held my hand walking down the road. He was a truly lovel lovely man.
Leigh published my ramblings in variant on at least 4 occasions. I’d meet with him when every publication came out, to pick up the many boxes of variant from his strange flat on Maryhill road to deliver them over to the east coast
Through variant he gave people space to write what they needed to. It didn’t matter if it was art or something else. He was ahead of his time. I particularly remember once, when I was drowning in social care. My father had just died and my mother was struggling to cope with my sister who has complex disabilities. I was almost literally fighting with social care. Frazzled. He gave me the space to write. To get rid of my frustrations. He just understood.
I lost contact with Leigh over the pandemic. He had moved Lochwinnoch. I talked once to him on the phone He was doing his phd. He seemed happy.
I feel bad I lost contact. All I can say is he was a genuinely lovely person. I can see him reading all of this and chortling that shoulder way he did. Leigh. I’m sorry. You really were one of the good guys. I’ll miss you
This is terribly sad news. Leigh was a true radical and a wonderful person. I admired his work, and very much enjoyed his company in the 1990s. We know there is a class war and that funding decisions made by arts bodies have a much more detrimental effect on working class artists than most of the middle-dominantideology-class of artists who seem to get generous funding from the public purse, while producing little work that ever challenges things as they are. This is a generalisation but Leigh found details and extensive evidence which gave strong credence to his views. He made such ideas public in the work he did; was courageous and unafraid. So very sad.
For my part, a kindred spirit; and invigorating and inspirational as well as marvellous company.
Long may that spirit endure.
Such a lovely person, my studio partner on the Glasgow MFA and helper and at times co-conspirator in my street performances. So sad he’s gone, wished I d got to see him again❤️
Thank you for this post, sad news indeed. Rest in power Leigh, your work inspired countless persons, including this young art student & artist of 90s Glasgow. We carry on with the same spirit hopefully. The uncomplete PhD was a poignant topic of conversation last time we chatted online before pandemic days, me being in Finland/Latvia back then. Hopefully the Variant editorial committee & those closer to Leigh will consider opening up that critical project on Scottish cultural nationalism for collective commentary & debate, along with the forthcoming special issue in due course. All the best & condolences to nearest & dearest.
I knew Leigh mainly through his writing, from Variant to 8-page emails, and from the care and energy he brought to critical dialogue. Long before we met I remember discovering a rumpled copy of the magazine on a last train from Glasgow, and sitting bolt upright with envy and admiration. A critic fully ‘present’ and committed to his perceptiveness, lead where it may. But just as committed to thinking-as-connection, finding social and intellectual possibility in the most unpromising disagreement. On the page he was meticulous, unappeasable, seemingly fearless.
In person I found him surprisingly mellow: open and patient as you stumbled toward your own view, and tried your best to keep up. The fierce intelligence was also calm, softly spoken and quietly generous. Always with another book to suggest, another potential project to discuss. Conversations never really ‘ended’ and there was no finishing the kinds of practice and reflection Leigh and those closest to him made their own.
It’s a marvel to think of all the connections and possibilities traced through his words (their words). And judgements rendered! Devastated that I can’t ask him any more questions about the early days of Variant.
I’ll miss Leigh French a lot. He would rip this tribute to sarcastic shreds. May his passionate, mind-expanding commitments continue through others x
This is a fitting, moving and appropriate tribute to Leigh.
Variant and the critique it offered was much needed, pertinent and challenging; always taking on the insider classes, biting the hand that fed it, refusing to buy into the soggy assumptions that so define Scottish public and institutional life. In so doing it has a restlessness, sense of inquiry and investigation, which offer ripe terrain for cherishing and nurturing its legacy.
If the Variant editorlal collective would be open to considering it a hole range of folk – myself included – would like to see this legacy and its continued relevance assessed and explored. More than ever we need critical space, resources and voices – and encouraging difficult pespectives.
Thank you. I was hoping to be able to read a thoughtful summary that would remind me of the details I’ve forgotten whilst the impression of Leigh remains strong. Your writing is a good basis for more. Thanks
Thank you to everyone who collaborated to put this together in difficult times, we’re thinking of more in-depth ways to reflect on and build on Leigh’s work and Variant’s legacy. In a culture with institutional memory-loss its important to do this.
Although its great to have the digital archive of Variant I think one of its great qualities was its commitment to print. Although art and illustration was a central part of Variant I think Leigh’s commitment to text and print (and ideas) was too. Uncompromising ‘walls of text’ were a feature of this long-form magazine. Leigh and the Variant team bypassed the distribution nightmare of print production in Scotland by distributing a free magazine (by post and hand) to art centres, cafes, libraries and whatever outlets would take them. As others have said his was burdensome in away that modern online publishing wouldn’t tolerate but had the benefit of accessibility and openness.
I’ll remember Leigh for his generosity and warmth, his ability to be both meticulous yet truly open – these qualities allowed him – with lots of others to create such a rich and diverse outpouring of writing and content.
Thinking of Leigh and all those closest.
So sorry to hear this. Rather shaken by the news. Always an inspiration, generous, emotionally supportive, we will miss you. It was a pleasure working as a contributor to Variant over many years. I know many will dearly miss you, your kind heartedness. You will remain forever in our hearts dear Leigh, Desmond Fernandes.
Hey there Iam officiating at Leigh’s funeral. I wondered if I could have permission to use some of this great article and if indeed the author Edith’s like me to say anything about their relationship with Leigh?