Jed Escueta: On His Brand Of Photography And Being A "Triumphant Amateur"

As promised, we are posting what transpired during our interview with Jed Escueta, off the Escuebaks photo exhibit/gig held last Wednesday, February 27, 2008, at the Big Sky Mind in E. Rodriguez St., Quezon City.

While Jed seems to me a mild-mannered, unassuming gentleman, I still had to ask the help of Albert Ascona to get the guy to join us and agree to answer a few questions over a few bottles of beer. So do read on.

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We are now at your art exhibit. Ito ba ang first exhibit mo?

Jed Escueta: No. Actually ito ang first exhibit ng kuya ko. Sa totoo lang matagal na niya akong iniimbita na sumama sa kanya. Of course, since kuya ko, payag ako sa collaboration. Sinabi ko sa kanya, dapat may tugtugan din.

Since we're talking about art, what exactly do you do?

Jed: Since around 1999, I take photos, I focused on my photographs. Nag-exhibit ako sa mga galleries since mga 1999, 2000, up to now....I'm an active exhibiting artist, nakakasali sa mga group shows, at nagkaroon ng mga opportunity for solo exhibitions.

Being a photographer associated with the punk rock scene, do you consider yourself a schooled photographer or do you consider your art as DIY?

Jed: Nakapag-enrol naman ako sa workshop ng photography, pero dito sa Pilipinas walang major in Photography, walang nag-o-offer ng totoong course in Photography, so ang learning process ko is very limited. Constant practice ako, practice lang ng practice ... palagay ko doon pumapasok ang DIY. Eventually nagkakaroon ako ng sariling consistency, sariling pattern sa mga photographs. Most of my energy goes into the study of my photographs.

How do you define your art/photography?

Jed: Di rin ako masyadong malayo sa average na hobbyist na interested in photography. Anyone with a camera can take pictures and create some sort of a visual diary. But I see to it na pinag-aaralan ko ang pictures ko. I go back to the works of old photographers, local or foreign, naghahanap ng similarities sa work nila. So parang, ako ay triumphant amateur. (chuckles)

Sa tingin mo, paano magiging relevant ang photography sa panahon ngayon, given the social situation?

Jed: Ngayon, tingin ko mas madali dahil may internet, one can post photos online. Sa tingin ko mahalaga pa rin na pag-aralan ang bawat shots, kasi para sa akin very personal ang photography. Mas buhay na buhay ngayon ang photography, sa dami ng mga cameras (sa market) and anyone can just get one and take a photograph...pero double edged sword din, kasi lahat ngayon puwedeng maging photographer...parang masyadong photo-based na ang mundo ngayon.

Being Jed Escueta, how would you differentiate your style from the other photographers?

Jed: Yung key siguro is nagfo-focus ako sa sarili ko talaga, kung ano ang interest ko. Katulad ng punk scene, gusto ko manood at makinig, so nade-define din ang work ko. Tapos yung friends ko, katulad dito sa show ko ngayon na panay family portraits .... Hard to say, pero ang hinahanap ko ay pure moments, unadulterated, unorchestrated. Sinusubukan kong kumuha ng photo na di ko masyadong aayusin in a way. Hindi naman candid shots pero ...

Mayroong sense of impulse.

Jed: Oo! Mayroong sense of spontaneity, sense of rawness, di masyadong clean. There's nothing wrong with that, but I guess ... I just get compelled, I don't know why. Tapos pag-aaralan ko na lang afterwards. Masaya ang process. Kahit ngayon naman na matagal na akong kumukuha (ng photographs), meron pa ring nakakagulat ... natututo pa rin ako ....

Who do you consider as your heroes?

Jed: Madami din. Si Man Ray, si Nan Goldin...yung kuha nila very basic, very emotionally charged. Si Man Ray far out din, ang bansag sa kanya ay Father of Surrealist Photography...tinitingnan niya kung ano pa ang puwedeng gawin outside the bounds of the machine (camera). Marami din akong painters who I look up to.

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Jed has used a good number of cameras, among them Nikon FM2, Canon 30D, Holga, Lomo LCA, Olympus 35rc, and Lubitel Universal. Personally, I am not very well-versed in photography (but I swear I know who Man Ray is!), but I know enough to say that Jed's photos are, indeed, introspective, with a sense of rawness, as Jed himself would admit. I wish to see more of his gig
photos, though.

Many many thanks to Albert Ascona for putting in a whole lot of input in the interview, and, of course, to Jed Escueta, for his time and generosity.