It’s one thing to be able to receive the same data-driven suggestions as someone else living a completely different part of the world, and another to come across novelty that transcends even today’s global reach of the Internet.
The democratisation of the photography via the smartphone camera has allowed images — universally understood yet infinitely complex as a language — to become the glue of the global online community. Greater reach and accessibility means a greater likelihood of fruitful and exciting creative collisions, but the warm glow of this multiplier effect somewhat wanes when the committing to the game of social media instead constantly overwhelms and encourages performative action, leading to echo chambers and a stifling of individuality and creative expression.
Inside jokes are no longer inside jokes if everyone is in on them, but this creative crisis is more than a coincidence to make light of for some of the world’s biggest professional image-makers. How does one stay relevant while being their most authentic self? If social media is always perceived to prescribe more than describe, how can creatives share their work without the application of the wrong labels — art or content? Or does it no longer matter?
Men’s Folio speaks to a special line-up of six image-makers — Peter Ash Lee, Rala Choi, Monika Mogi, Nikolai Ahn, Poyen Chen and Wing Shya — to find out. Here is what Monika Mogi has to say about creating images in a social media era.
portrait of Ai Futaki (2023), Monika Mogi
If you were to describe your photography style to someone who has never seen your works before, what would you say?
American woman raised in Japan? (Laughs) I don’t know.
What about photography do you love the most? Has that reason changed over the years?
The magic of it will always be a joy for me. The reason it has changed most is probably technology. It can feel like you are just a pixel amongst pixels but that can be liberating! I think it’s great that anyone can be a photographer these days.
How has the smartphone camera changed photography for you and as a creative medium?
I love taking pictures with my iPhone especially for my daily blog. The fact that everyone is using the same little device; if you can take an interesting photo with just an iPhone I think that can be more exciting than using a professional camera for some reason. I still love film and Polaroids, but I find myself only saving those for special projects since the cost has gone up so much.
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What is the creation process of a photo like for you?
I try to involve my reality — the way I’m viewing life at the moment. What my surroundings are and how I connect to it.
Which part of that process is your favourite? Why?
I secretly moved to a small island in the south of Japan about a year ago; documenting and using the natural resources around me as a way to process my relationship to the island. I love when projects become so sacred you don’t even want to share to the world — thats honestly the favourite part of the process.
When I spend half my time in the States, I like to focus on what I see around me. I made a mini visual movie about LA’s dying diner culture with my boyfriend.
Fundamentally, photography is about recording — turning a fleeting moment into something permanent. Is there something you photographed but wish you didn’t?
I think earlier in my career because I was so young I didn’t realise how much I used sexuality in my work. I would notice the amount of attention a photograph would receive if there was forced seduction in it. It’s a very easy way to trick yourself into thinking you are making important art. There is beauty in expressing sexuality and we shouldn’t be ashamed of it but I worry that it is being used as the fastest means to the attention economy. Our culture is becoming increasingly narcissistic and what used to be seen as empowerment is now just masked as a commodity. We have become immune to the oversexualisation of everything and I think that has done more damage to our society than we realise. I think it’s important to give the choice to be seduced. I think when we don’t care much about what we consume, it creates a huge distortion in reality.
What about vice versa? Is there something you did not record on photo but wish you did?
I swim nearly everyday in the ocean.. The ocean always amazes me how different it will look even in the same area on a different day. There are moments when I see a sea turtle or am surrounded by a school of fish – I wish I had my underwater camera. There are many moments when I’m in nature I want to record but sometimes those moments are best left as a pure experience.
What do you think is the biggest difference between taking photographs in your early career and now?
I think I view my craft as more of a sacred part of me and I feel more protective of it now in a way that I didn’t before. I started out with photography when I was 18 or 19. I think getting commercial work at a young age made me apply my sacredness to anything and everything which made me tired. It’s so important to learn to say no to projects you know intuitively will drain you creatively. It’s hard to do that while making a living but I would say my biggest difference is learning to say no.
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Given that we are living in a social media age where images make up a big part of communication (that has transcended the boundaries of time and space) and cultural exchange, how has social media affected your career?
I probably wouldn’t have my career if it weren’t for sharing my work on Instagram. However I felt like a decade ago it was so different. We are now in the blurry line of is it art or content? I realised I like to share my work online but not on Instagram. I love posting on my blog away from likes and comments.
Does the prevalence of social media pressure you to create for the platform? Why or why not?
I think it’s important to find ways to express yourself without feeding the machine. That’s why I love posting on my blog. It’s just part of my website and it’s my secret diary.
yakushima (2023), Monika Mogi
On that note, do you feel like the speed of image production on social media encourages an echo chamber of material and inspiration that limits cultural diversity? Is it necessary to make a conscious effort to keep your point of view authentic and original?
Yeah but people can always tell what is sincere right? That’s that magic of intuition. We all have a BS meter. Real sincerity doesn’t need effort to be authentic. It just is. I think that integrity is needed in our culture now more than ever! And to make time for contemplation. It’s great to disappear for a bit. We put far too much importance on always staying “relevant”. I personally think it comes off exhausting and inauthentic to always post and produce at speed.
Last but not least, what advice would you give to creatives who are trying to find a unique point of view to share with the world?
If I have a hard time creating, I take a break and focus on non creative aspects of my life. Its fun to work on secret projects only for yourself and expect no outcome, i try to do that by having odd hobbies and obsessions with niche silly things.
Once you are done with this story, click here to catch up with out November 2024 issue.