Jerry Hsu interview
The pro skater is a sucker for reality with his new photography show.
More like this...
Jerry Hsu is not only one of the most innovative and respected pros in the great wide world of skateboarding - and he’s definitely more than just an avatar in EA Skate. He’s blowing up in the art scene too, having honed his photography habit into an enviable skill.
Citing fine art photographer Boris Mikhailov and post-punk documentarian Nan Goldin as influences, Hsu is rapidly proving he’s no flash-in-the-pan shooter, but rather a man with a photographic vision that's as unique as his on-board style; a fact that will no doubt be cemented when his solo show hits London this summer.
Equipped with a 35mm camera, a Nikon FM2 and a super flexible work schedule, Hsu’s photos are a direct byproduct of his lifestyle - touring the world, skating unexplored spots and encountering a life that is completely unguarded.
HUCK: What initially attracted you to the medium of photography?
Jerry Hsu: Photography was always in the periphery of my life growing up. My family always had cameras and were always lining us up for some kind of excruciating portrait. I think when I started skating, capturing whatever we were doing just automatically became important. When we weren't out skating we were watching skate videos and reading skate magazines, so naturally we became obsessed with documenting ourselves.
At what point did you begin to take your new-found interest seriously?
When I was in high school I started learning more about art. I started buying more books and being exposed to new artists I had never heard of and many of them were photographers. Meeting skateboard photographers helped too because they were older and knew so much about who to look at and what was good. Pretty soon I just became obsessed with shooting everything. I started having more friends that were photographers and they inspired me to take it more seriously.
You seem to favour a candid approach. Have you encountered any confrontations when catching passersby off-guard?
It’s rare that people even react. People generally aren't used to being photographed so if it happens they usually just ignore it or just don't know what to do. Sometimes they smile. Depending on what I want, its best to ask, but then they'll know they are being photographed which can either queer it all up or it can be a pleasant surprise.
Do you exercise any sort of process when you shoot?
Yeah, it depends on what I want. Usually I don't want people to know about me until the last second. I guess my process is to either see or anticipate something I want to have and then decide whether I have the balls for the follow through. Sometimes I get so much anxiety that I just blow it and the opportunity is lost.
How does photography fit in with your lifestyle as a professional skateboarder?
With touring and skating in general, its ideal because I can travel to far off places and be around so much alien stuff. And when I feel like a visitor somewhere, my inhibitions seem to be less dominant so I can just start shooting everything and anyone. Our environment as skaters lets us be around so much weirdness.
What do you think makes for a good photo?
A photograph or piece of art will always have different meanings to different people. I would veer toward hoping people have a more visceral experience with my photos because the subject matter can be humorous, sad or mundane. I just show what I want to see.
Look out for Jerry Hsu's photography exhibition, coming to London very soon.
Subscribe to HUCK for six issues
Only £20 (UK) / £43 (EU) / £58 (Rest of the World).
Jerry Hsu interview (text) by Jay Riggio is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License.
Add Your Comment...
Please note: Your comment may be held in moderation for approval by an administrator to prevent spamming. This usually doesn't take long, please be patient.