Dino Kužnik: Making it Personal
PROJECT: JAY VERSACE, 2020
WORDS & PHOTOGRAPHY: DINO KUŽNIK
In 2019, as I left my graphic design position and devoted myself entirely to photography again, I also moved from personal, creative work to more commissioned projects. Those projects are often straightforward, simply the following of a brief. But after a lot of identical or similar work, you start becoming devoid of creativity. I think of it as an assembly line. When you do a specific action, like following a brief, 100 times, the creative juices dry up a bit. You can repeat the tasks with your eyes closed. Then comes a project that pushes you outside of your comfort zone. All of a sudden, you’re injected with creativity again. My portrait session with Jay Versace, an American comedian, musician, actor and entertainer, was one of those projects.
When Jay first reached out and showed interest in shooting with me, I assumed I would be diverted to an agent. Yet, Jay insisted that we do everything very low-key—me acting as photographer, creative director, driver, location scout and so on and him taking care of the styling and makeup. At first, it was all a bit overwhelming, but I quickly realized that it wasn’t unlike working on a personal project. Once I started treating it as such, the stress quickly dissipated.
On our way to the shoot location, through Jay’s music and conversation, I learned about his character, public perception and desire to be portrayed in a certain way. Jay, who became famous on the social media platform Vine, has a comedic association attached to him. He is interested in more than just comedy—music, producing, acting—so that perception had become a burden, something he desperately wanted to move away from. My vision for the project completely shifted on that drive.
Our conversations gave me insight into his personality and affected how I later directed and photographed him. I captured more intimate, coming-of-age portraits of Jay rather than images with a comedic bent, while still in an environment—the desolate landscape—that represents my work. Through this shoot, I learned that spending time with an artist gives you a crucial understanding of the person, their motivations and wishes. Getting to know your subject can lead to collaborative creativity from both parties and ultimately, more powerful photographs. It was a precious lesson, one which I will carry with me permanently.
Getting to know your subject can lead to collaborative creativity from both parties and ultimately, more powerful photographs.
