Sixty-nine-year-old London photographer Joe Leslie has shared how the ‘mind blowing’ 1960s has inspired his first art exhibition in the capital.

Leslie’s Sex, Lies and Spies photographic work is a reimagining of the biggest political scandal of the century – The Profumo Affair – which marks its 60th anniversary this year.

The series of photographs will be exhibited at Brick Lane Gallery, Shoreditch, from August 31 to September 10. Prior to opening, there is a preview event on August 30, 6pm-8.30pm, which is open to the public.

Leslie has turned the focus on Christine Keeler, who features across the entire series of images, as he puts a unique take on the story using a mix of newspaper headlines of the day, the key locations and caricatures of the main protagonists including Keeler, friend and model Mandy Rice-Davies, government minister John Profumo, socialite Stephen Ward and Russian spy Yevgeny Ivanov.

The exhibition explores the entire affair from 1961 through to the resignation of Profumo in 1963 and Keeler’s court trial.

Ahead of the opening of the exhibition, Leslie spoke about his fascination with the scandal, his 1960s and why it was the inspiration for his first exhibition.

He said: “The Profumo Scandal was a part of my early teenage years and even though at the time I didn’t take much notice of the scandal the seed had been planted in the back of my mind.

“But it’s not just the scandal, it’s the 1960s as whole period of time. Being introduced to Soho in the 60s for me as a young teenager was just ‘mind blowing’.

“As I got older I began to realise that I had visited the same locations as Christine Keeler. A very close friend of mine, who was a part of the Krays scene, was stabbed outside the Whisky a Go Go which is next door to The Flamingo Club, which Keeler use to frequent.”

Leslie hopes to use the exhibition to portray Keeler in a positive light and also illustrate she was, in his view, a victim of abuse by the men around her.

He added: “Christine Keeler was a person of the times. Coming to London to seek fame and fortune, she found “fame” but not her fortune. Christine was a vulnerable teenager, abused and discarded by powerful men.

“Throughout my career as a professional photographer I’ve met hundreds of Christine Keelers, all seeking the same dreams and instead being victims. I hope to raise the profile of domestic and mental abuse through the exhibition.”

‘Sex, Lies and Spies’ will include nine images from the series which features 30 in total and is part of The Brick Lane Gallery’s Art in Mind exhibition.