JJ GEIGER

“I’m still learning and changing and my “style” will evolve as long as I’m working.” – learning is important and accompanies you through your life, you will never be “ready”. But Pineapple is ready now to publish JJ Geiger’s interview for you to enjoy. This handsome next door guy here to talk a bit and show some of his recent series. You can find more JJ Geiger on Pineapple by clicking here & here.

Could we start with some background information about you? Where you grow up, where you based, how did you get interested in photography?

I grew up in Denver, Colorado, but moved to New York when I was 18. I lived there for 11 years and moved to Los Angeles about a year ago.

Did you always know photography was your ultimate go-to outlet of expression?

I’ve always loved photography but never considered it a career until recently. My grandpa was a photographer for the Navy and would give me his old cameras when I was young. It was until about 3 years ago that I picked it up again seriously. Movies are a true love of mine and I wanted to make them but quickly learned how difficult, expensive and time consuming it is. I had worked as an actor in New York for a while and was needing more agency over my creativity. I started photographing my friends and things snowballed from there. I’m interested in many forms of artistic expression. Film, photography. I have a real love for dance, music. But ultimately when I’m feeling stuck I turn to photography.

There is always time and learning for someone to find their own style. That you remember back, was something of a turning point from your photos are started to be “J Geiger photography”?

I honestly don’t see my self as having a “style” because I’m on the inside. It’s hard to see my work objectively. I do think that I like to get obsessive.

I like to hone in on a theme, or a person and see how deep I can go with that.

But in terms of aesthetic, I take inspiration from a lot of other art forms or photographers and apply that to my own work. I’m still learning and changing and my “style” will evolve as long as I’m working.

As you have paid, there are also ‘for fun’ projects in your portfolio. How difficult it is to balance so that everything falls into place and does not tilt the swing to only one half?

For me, my main focus is and will always be queer people and home. I moved around a lot as a kid, and even as an adult I haven’t lived in one place longer than 2 years. I’m constantly interested in what makes a home, who makes a home, and what that means especially to queer people. My understanding of queerness is constantly shifting and broadening. With he state of the world now, especially in America where I live, the past 6 months have been extremely difficult and fraught for so many reasons, important reasons that have made me, and I think a lot of artists, step back and say “what are we really saying” “how does is our art in conversation with he world”? It’s been a deep time of reflection and I’m really happy and excited to see the changes taking place.

What is the most important thing you have learned about yourself as an artist since you started?

Something incredibly important that I’ve learned is the importance of silence.

Creating space for something unknown to happen. Sometimes shoot are full of hype and energy and need to be, but often, when I allow there to be silence, something really interesting happens, the room drops in a bit and there’s a different focus.

If you could tell your younger self one piece of advice what would it be?

If I could tell my younger self one piece of advice is would be: it’s all going to be ok, because nothing matters. It may sound pessimistic but it’s actually the opposite. As a gay kid I was so focused on control because I was terrified of someone hating me, beating me up, bullying me, of being “found out” which created a lot of tension around my self.

By understanding that we’re all just skeletons walking around on a giant rock floating in space, I free myself from that control.

What do you do when you got time for yourself?

When I’ve got time for myself I’m often in nature. I love hiking and the beach. I find water healing and garbage TV like Big Brother.