interview: marisa bazan
originally published in print in the human issue #5, june 2023
Interview by nora lalle
How long have you been taking photos and what made you start shooting film?
I was a disposable camera enthusiast throughout high school and college. I loved the look and aesthetic of it and particularly enjoyed taking pictures of friends. Eventually, a friend gave me the extra push I needed and gifted me a plastic white Holga camera and a little Smena 8m in my last year of college. I started shooting with these exclusively for a while and would do entire photoshoots on them. Looking back, that gives me so much anxiety, given the unpredictability. I remember I did a whole roll of portraits for someone on the Smena, and for whatever reason, the film wasn’t advancing, so I took 36 shots on one frame. This guy at the lab was like, “have you ever considered shooting on a real camera?” For the record, I’m very much on the team of people who classify these as real cameras, but I was like, okay, he has a point. From then on, I started shooting on an SLR and quickly became fully obsessed with film and vintage cameras. I still bust out my Holga from time to time, though. I have nothing but love for those little plastic babies.
What is your favorite part of the image making process? From coming up with the idea and concept, executing it and then having a final product…which part of the process is the most fun for you?
That's a tricky question! My instinct is to say coming up with the concepts. Mainly because my imagination goes wild, and it's fun to think of crazy ideas for shoots. I have notebooks full of ideas I still need to bring to fruition. That being said, I love executing a picture and the act of shooting. You can't beat loading up the film, setting up the shot, and connecting with the subject to make it all happen.
Your work is so creative! I love the use of color, less traditional compositions, whimsy. Where do you get your inspiration?
In my photography, a lot of the inspiration comes from the person I’m photographing. Sometimes I’ll meet someone, imagine a whole photoshoot with them, and ask them if they would be interested in modeling for me. Other times I’ll be hanging out with a friend, and they’ll say something or bite into a sandwich in a certain way, and suddenly I‘ve drafted a whole concept and outfit in my head with a scenario I want to recreate with them. I daydream a lot, and part of me falls in love with every person I photograph. Not even in a romantic way; I just feel connected and appreciative when people let me take their photo. It’s super personal. Every person is so unique and has their own special qualities that make them who they are. As long as I’m surrounded by people, I’ll always feel inspired.
You feature yourself fairly often. What has your journey with self portraits been like? Have you always done them?
I originally started taking them at the beginning of the pandemic because I was the only person I could safely photograph. Eventually, I grew to love it. Mainly because I have a lot of weird ideas, and sometimes it’s hard to ask someone, “hey, are you down to let me paint your face like a clown and drink a gallon of milk?” or “have you seen buffalo 66? okay, the vibe is Christina Ricci, but she’s stuffing her face with spaghetti using her bare hands.” I save my weirdest ideas for myself because I have total creative control. Model Marisa can’t say no to photographer Marisa.
I notice a lot of mouths open and tongues out (in both your photos and collages) what’s with the fascination with mouths!?
Mouths are the perfect balance of gross and beautiful; their opposition is perfection! If you think about it, they’re everything. Mouths are how we communicate, show emotion, kiss, eat, bite! They’re alluring and disgusting at the same time. You could tell someone you love them with the same mouth you tell them you hate them. I love exploring this balance in my art, and I think mouths symbolize my obsession with this concept.
Your collages are so stunning and surreal. How do you find images and materials to work with and what is your process like?
Thank you! I source my materials from vintage magazines that I find on eBay, Craigslist, and The Magazine,* a vintage magazine store in the Tenderloin that I’m obsessed with. The shop is all old magazines, it’s great; they even have a store cat hanging out on the counter. I would highly recommend it if you’re in San Francisco. Aside from the shop, I’ve found myself in some bizarre situations looking for magazines. Picture me meeting a weird dude from Craigslist in a parking lot to buy a box of vintage playboys haha. Don’t worry, I didn’t go alone! Anyway, once I get my magazines, I flip through them (somewhat frantically and obsessively). When something catches my eye, I rip it out and set it aside for later. I’m trying to get better at slowing down and appreciating the magazines. I get too excited! While working, I usually have 4-5 half-baked concepts scattered around me, and I move back and forth between them until it’s time to make it official (glue everything down).
There is a real sense of confidence and individuality in the images you create. Where does that confidence come from?
Wow, thank you. I’ve been told that not attending art school could be a contributing factor. I think there’s a sense of freedom in being self-taught. I do what I want because it’s how I express myself, and makes me feel good. I don’t overthink why I’m doing something or what’s drawing me to a specific vibe until later. They’re often unconscious decisions, and I don’t notice recurring themes or styles until down the road. Once I see it, I try to make sense of it all in my head, which teaches me a lot about myself. For example, the mouth thing you mentioned before, it wasn’t until I reflected on it later that I thought a lot about why I was doing it and figured it out. Learning things about myself through my art is super therapeutic.
How does photography and specifically film photography help you connect with yourself? How does it make you feel alive?
Something is intriguing to me about not fully knowing the outcome until I get the film back. It helps me stay in the moment and appreciate every step of the process. Getting images back and having them either be exactly what I wanted or completely different is exciting. A lot can go wrong, and it makes it rewarding when the stars align and you end up with something you’re proud of. The film is also a marker of time. When I look at a photo I’ve taken, I remember everything about that day and how I felt. It helps me hold onto memories and remember important moments in my life. Even if the photo isn’t of someone, it can help me remember what I was doing at the point in time and who I was close with. It’s nostalgic, it’s happy, it’s sad, it’s everything.
Marisa is a Brooklyn, NY based artist.
@mariisabazan
marisabazan.com
*Editor’s Note: The Magazine sadly announced that they would be closing up shop after 50 years in business shortly after this interview was completed
