Led By Jesús
Isaac Harris
Opening Reception: June 20, 2025 6-9 PM
Isaac Harris (b. Columbus, Ohio) is a Milwaukee-based photographer whose work explores the nuances of human connection through street portraiture. A graduate of The Ohio State University, Harris began his practice in New York City, transitioning from street fashion photography to a more intimate, portrait-driven approach. His work is grounded in the spontaneity of public space, where chance encounters become sites of quiet exchange and emotional resonance. Harris has exhibited in galleries throughout New York, Columbus, and Milwaukee, as well as in a museum setting in Milwaukee. He is the author of a self-published photo book and has collaborated with commercial clients including Refinery29, Absolut Vodka, and Harley-Davidson. His photographs have appeared in various national and international publications. Photography has been a gateway for Harris — a means of connection that has introduced him to people he never would have met otherwise. For him, the photograph is merely a trace of something more meaningful: the encounter itself. “The physical photo is secondary,” he says. “The brief encounter and conversation is where the magic happens.” He continues to approach his work with a sense of openness and curiosity, excited to discover who he’ll meet next.
"Around the time of the COVID-19 pandemic, I found myself drawn to stories about horses and the people who care for them — sparked in part by watching the Concrete Cowboys documentary. That interest stayed with me. One day, while taking my car to my local mechanic, Jesús, I noticed a dusty photograph above his workbench. Surrounded by tools and auto parts, the image showed a rider in street clothes atop a horse on a racetrack. I was immediately drawn to it. I asked Jesús where the photo was taken. His eyes lit up as he described a local Mexican horse racing scene — a grassroots event where people pull up in pickup trucks with coolers of beer and watch horses race on dirt tracks. It sounded like a world completely its own. After doing some research, I found out where one of these events was happening and decided to go document it. I didn’t know a single person there and was clearly an outsider. As I arrived, an older man approached and asked, “Amigo, what are you doing here?” I explained, then moved quietly through the crowd, camera in hand. What I witnessed that day was joy, laughter, and a sense of ease — families and friends gathering on a quiet Sunday in the middle of nowhere, in a small Midwestern town. This series is my attempt to capture that spirit: the people, the horses, and the quiet beauty of a community doing something they love."
“Jesus didn’t just fix my car, he led me to something real” - Isaac Harris