It’s pretty simple. Matea Jocic creates photographs that will either be loved or hated. It’s not a matter of technical skill, it’s a matter of content and spontaneity. It’s not laziness or lack of precision (Jocic rarely even sets up her subjects), it’s merely just capturing what already exists. In this interview, Jocic talks to us about Zagreb, her home town, her adventure in China, and a Lady Gaga concert that she attended amongst a crowd of thirteen-year-olds.
Hi Matea! What have you been up to lately?
I’ve been spending time in my room doing nothing for the last couple of months. I decided it was a good idea to drop out of college so I can spend my days listening to my parents giving me shit about not having a job.
What’s your favorite part about living in Zagreb? Any cool artists coming out of there right now?
I hate living here. No one wants to do anything and people are extremely uninterested. I feel like there are no photographers here. It seems like all the young people here are all graphic designers.
Your photographs are spontaneous and very much in the moment. What is it that interests you in this type of photography?
I think I’m too shy to set things up, especially people. It’s too awkward and stressful for me to say anything other than the occasional “don’t move” to someone I’m taking a photo of. I’ve never really photographed someone I didn’t know. I can never ask someone random to let me take some pictures (unless that someone is Dan Snaith). It’s stupid, I have to work on that. Also, it’s easier to photograph what is already there. I’m alright with not taking the picture if it doesn’t work.
I’m assuming you have your camera with you all of the time. Are you shooting with something compact or is it an SLR?
I sold my digital SLR. Now I just use an Olympus MJU. Dean Spunt (No Age) and I traded our cameras with each other. He broke my MJU a week later [laughs]. He still owes me photos from a roll of film that was in the camera.
I also have a Nikon FE2. I thought I would use that for more “serious” stuff. If someone commissioned me (yeah right). It just sits there, it’s too big to fit in my pocket so I rarely use it. I worked my way down to the most simple equipment there is. From always shooting on manual on SLR, to just wanting to use everything on automatic. I guess those two seconds of setting things up are just too much work for me.
What is it that you’re trying to portray with your series The Police?
Nothing! Whenever I see a policeman/woman, I think it’s funny. The uniform makes them look tough, and they’re just walking down the street or buying sodas. This one loser photographer told me that it was illegal to photograph policemen. How does that even make sense?
With all these candid shots, do you get a lot of shit for it?
I usually know the people so I can ask to take a picture, so no shit. Or if I see them getting upset I just don’t do it.
When and why did you travel to China? What did you take from the experience?
I was there for two months this summer in Luoyang, a small town of around two million people. My boyfriend was working there so I decided to come along. I arrived at Beijing, and he got there a day and a half later. I went out that afternoon to take a walk, and to see what was up. No map, no cellphone, no nothing. I got lost in Beijing at 10pm. For some stupid reason, no taxi would take me to my hostel. I finally found one to take me by basically begging. For some reason cab drivers in Beijing don’t like me.
I learned that young people everywhere all look the same and do the same things and listen to the same music. Also, people in China really like white people but most of them think any white person is from the US. They wanna take pictures, shake hands in grocery shops, or just stop, stare, and giggle at you as you walk by. I guess it’s sort of like being famous. Annoying.
Since I don’t speak any Chinese and because rarely anyone speaks English you can only rely on pointing at stuff and all the subtleties of body language. And thats awesome, you don’t have to talk to understand each other. I really miss that… not having to talk to anyone.
I also thought I would take shitloads of photos, but lazyness came over me. I thought I would have a more elaborate and meaningful series of/about china… these are more just random details. I wish I took more pictures of modern architecture. I really enjoy that, in general; the buildings themselves and also taking photographs of them.
There’s a lot of live photography displayed on your website, I have to ask you… what was seeing Lady Gaga in concert like?
Going to shows is basically the only thing I do. Last month I got out of the apartment twice – once to see Lambchop and a week later to see Caribou. How pathetic. I used to photograph shows for a job and somehow that didn’t ruin it for me… but I learned that I hate other photographers.
Lady Gaga, of couse, was completely amazing. We cued up before the show and actually ran to be in front. There were two twenty-something year olds and loads of 13 year old girls with their dads. Amazing. I love the Monster album, all of the songs were great live. She had a huge screen that covered the whole stage. Whenever she would go to change her outfit, there would be these amazing black and white videos (mostly of her in slow motion doing stuff). My favorite one was the one where a girl comes up to her and vomits on her… but the vomit is ‘shoped to be glitter or something.
You’re obviously a huge fan of music. What have you been listening to lately?
Since I watched Sofia’s new film Somewhere, I’ve been obsessing about The Strokes song “I’ll try anything once”. I like Former Ghosts and I want Freddy to do a live EP, now. Last week I listened to the Curb Your Enthusiasm soundtrack… waiting for new season to start. Even just listening to that was hilarious. But yeah, I love Morrissey, Xiu Xiu, No Age, cLOUDDEAD, Kanye West, Infinite Body… the usual stuff.
