American artist Mike McLeod was first known as a photographer for the arresting portraits of Casual Encounters (2011) and haunting interiors of Texas Porno Road Trip (2014). McLeod's deadpan surrealism and experimental book design established him as a groundbreaking voice during a cultural resurgence of independent publishing.

Curator Shannon Michael Cane championed McLeod's work, writing for Aperture that it 'subverts photographic tropes' and 'traverses complex territory'. Cane became a close friend and the two engaged in daily conversation as McLeod travelled the United States making the photographs that would eventually become ADULT (2017). After Cane's unexpected passing, McLeod withdrew from the public eye to study Yoga and Eastern spiritual philosophies.

Since then, an expanded practice has been emerging. TWO TRILLION GALAXIES (2026), McLeod's first work in a decade, marks a significant shift. Ancient mystic traditions and contemporary life in the American Southwest inform experiments in drawing, printmaking, animation and book design.

McLeod's work has been exhibited internationally, covered by Der Greif and Aperture as well as published in numerous anthologies including 10x10 American Photobooks, Unlocked and Printed Matter's Queer Zines Vol. 2.

McLeod is a 2013 recipient of the Phoenix Art Museum Contemporary Forum Emerging Artist Grant.