[CULT TALK] Jerry Hsu on French Fries, Photography, and Being Cool

(This terrible photo by yours truly, all other good ones by Olivia Jaffe)

The other night (who can really keep track of time in this wacky life we lead) skateboarder turned photographer Jerry Hsu had an opening for his newest photo show, “The Observable Universe”, at Family Bookstore in Los Angeles. I attended, mostly because I love standing awkwardly in front of art trying to look thoughtful while also trying not to sweat profusely, especially when this activity is followed by standing awkwardly on the street outside the gallery smoking cigarettes and telling people I haven’t seen in months how I’ve been in three sentences or less (mantern Klaus captured the exact ambiance of this and every other art show in his piece about it). I was also told there would be free skateboards by commenters on Jerry’s Instagram. That turned out to be a bold-faced lie (thanks a lot Jerry) but while there were no parting gifts, the show itself made the trip (all awkwardness included) totally worth it. Featuring a tightly curated selection of eleven photos all composed of human-less scenes of humanity, Jerry’s photos are exercises in irony, isolation, and tiny pangs of despair. In other words (words better suited to someone who knows pretty much dick about art), these photos made me FEEL FEELINGS.

I caught up with Jerry (caught up =cornered) outside of the show for a quick interview.

Jerry: Hello

Hi Jerry. Congratulations on your photo show. Um. I don’t actually have any questions prepared. Do you have any questions for me?

J: What’s this interview for?

 

It’s for Cultist.

J: Oh. Well, I’d be happy to answer any questions that you might eventually think of.

 

What’s better, taking photos or eating French fries?

J: Eating French fries.

 

What’s better, taking photos or eating pancakes?

J: (Pauses). Pancakes.

 

So can we go ahead and cut to the chase and say that eating most things is better than taking photos?

J: Yes. Eating is much more gratifying.

What’s the good part then about taking photos?

J: You can have shows, and invite all your friends, and feel really cool for about five minutes, and then go eat French fries and pancakes.

 

Do you have trouble feeling cool in the rest of your life?

J: Yes, all the time.

 

Really?

J: Yes, absolutely.

 

Aren’t you kind of a professional cool person?

J: Uh, yeah but I have like an insatiable hunger for feeling cool. It’s just never satisfied.

 

What’s more dangerous, taking photos or skateboarding?

J: Well, skateboarding but sometimes I take photos of people and they really don’t like it and I feel in a lot of danger.

 

Which is more embarrassing to do as a middle-aged man? Art photography or skateboarding?

J: I don’t know, I think they’re neck and neck.

 

What are you going to do when you become a middle-aged man in the next few years?

J: I’m going to skateboard and take photos. I’m just going to go all in on the embarrassing middle-aged stuff.

For the record, your parents are both engineers?

J: Yes.

 

Are they proud of your career choices?

J: Not until I bought a house. That’s when they finally stopped asking me to go to college.

 

Should I ask you a serious question about your photography?

J: Sure

 

Ummm….what kind of film do you use?

J: (Laughs) I really can’t tell you my secrets. That’s a secret.

 

I don’t know anything about photography, but your nine in this show look nice. How did you come up with the number nine?

J: I chose eleven actually.

 

I can’t count. So why eleven?

J: I themed it with photos with no people. I just wanted objects. And when I was making the edit, it was fifteen, but I cut it down to eleven because Family’s gallery is pretty small. I thought eleven was a solid number. Ten would have been too few. Eleven just worked.

 

Sounds very scientific.

J: I really just wing it with everything I do.

 

Even numbers make me uncomfortable. Do they make you uncomfortable?

J: All numbers make me uncomfortable.

 

If you had to pick one photo in there, which would be the one you would most like someone to buy?

J: The bloody mattress.

 

Why?

J: Because I just like to imagine that in someone’s home. It’s just such a gross photos. Someone bought it actually.

 

If you had to give me one of those photos, which would you give me?

J: Let me think…I would give you the lightbulb in the microwave because I know you use the microwave a lot.

 

I don’t even own a microwave, Jerry, and this is a very sad reflection of the state of our friendship.

J: I’m…really sorry I didn’t know that about you.

 

What are you going to do to repair this rift in our friendship?

J: I’m going to buy you a microwave.

 

“The Observable Universe” is up at Family Bookstore (436 N. Fairfax Ave) through August 1st. You can follow Jerry on and his , and become terrified to ever eat alone again by looking at .