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Sean Maung was born and raised in Los Angeles . He started shooting in his early 20’s . He is attracted to people and place ; and how culture and community shape a neighborhood . Sean has focused on the realism of a person and a mutual collaboration to create portraits that honestly showcase the subject in the photo . Sean has been self publishing for over ten years , releasing photo zines that showcase his work and can be accesible to a large group of people . During the same time Sean has been an educator , teaching adults in the community. Sean currently lives in Los Angeles.
Hi Sean! Thank you for sitting down with me! First question that I always ask. How does a regular day look like for you in Lon Angeles?
Of course. Thank you for showcasing me and my work. A typical day In LA depends on if it’s a work day or if I’m chilling. If I’m working; I’m up at 7 am to teach English as a second language to adults. I teach three classes a day. Two in the morning and one in the evening. If I’m not working; I try and be outside in different parts of the city. I try and dedicate at least one day a week to shooting .
I’m curious, what was it like growing up in La Cienega Heights in LA? And what kind of kid were you? What did you enjoy doing?
I grew up on Shenandoah street right off of Cadillac. I grew up there from the late 80’s to the late 90’s. It was very active and community orientated. There were a lot of neighborhood kids on the block, they would come over to our apartment or I would go to theirs. We would play football on the street with some of the older dudes. We loved the ice cream truck and walking over to joes market on Cadillac. It was a time where a lot of neighbors on the block knew each other and talked to each other.
There was also stress. Playboy Gangster Crips were active on Shenandoah. That brought LAPD gang Injunctions. Helicopters were heard on the block often; the police would continue to harass people at random hours of the night.
Overall, throughout the ups and downs it was a block that was vivid and engaging, a feeling I rarely feel anymore in neighborhoods.
Coming from a half Irish halv Burmese background and growing up in a predominantly black and Mexican neighborhood. How have all those different cultures influenced and shaped you into who you are today?
My mom grew up in LA and my dad is from Burma but ethnically we are Indian from a Muslim background. So I would say I’m half Irish and half Indian.
As for the neighborhoods, I wouldn’t say predominately black and Mexican. My neighborhood where my mom lived ( la cienaga heights ) was predominately black and brown. My dad lived in Culver City which was predominately white and Latino and asian . My grandparents lived in the palms neighborhood over by Venice and Midvale. over there every type of person was on that block, from Guatemala to Pakistan. And I went to public and charter schools that brought everybody from all over the city.
So to answer your question; that mix taught me to not get caught up in color lines, and be cool with everybody. I want to showcase that mix in my photos and just like how I’m down to chill with anybody I’m also down to shoot anybody as well.
I gotta ask, cause both movies had a major influence in the neighborhood that I grew up in. “Blood in Blood out” and “American Me”. Did those movies impact your neighborhood as well?
To be honest, those movies weren’t as influential to me growing up. I was really into menace 2 Society and Mi Vida Loca.
So when you’re around 21-22 y/o you pick up a camera, how did you get introduced to photography? What was the early days like? And when did your journey start for real?
I think what really hit me to pick up a camera was early Hamburger Eyes zines . From like 04/05 era . I saw their photos from life and the street and I was like ; I know that spirit and energy, I have lived and seen those experiences, I should pick up a camera . So I spent the summer when I was 21 In Alaska doing salmon fishing work. When I got back, I used some of that money to pick up a used Olympus om 1 camera from a spot in Seattle .
When I got back to LA , I would just hit the streets on my days off from working at a grocery store. I loved Broadway in downtown , and from there it was all city from Venice to Boyle heights. But I never went to school for photography, so I was shooting on the fly. Really just checking the light meter and that was about it .
It wasn’t until I was living in Brooklyn, that I checked out some books from the library and learned about how to really shoot film.
Alright, so what made you want to start documenting the streets of LA, and what are you hoping to convey?
LA is real and vivid ! Any time you step out the house, there’s a story, person or scenario. And LA is very misunderstood by outsiders. In my heart I know the spirit and essence of this city and I wanted to shoot an honest perspective on a city that has shaped culture and sub-culture around the world.
Gangsters, gay vaqueros, hustlers, sex workers, cholos, and exotic dancers. What is it about subcultures that are important for you to document?
To me sub – culture and culture is important because this country is very fixated on a simple generalization of race to identify and label people. There is so much more to every single person , and that extends to culture and sub culture. Culture is fluid and not stuck in stone like race. I hope my Photos show the layers of people and their identities and the expression within them.
What do you hope that we, the observers take with us after viewing your photos?
I hope y’all use your mind to think , use your imagination , have a dialogue and discussion. The world and people are not just a manufactured version the media gives us through our screens.
How important is authenticity in your work? And can a picture still be good, if it does’t have any?
Realism and authenticity is what I strive for. To showcase people and environments that are true to themselves . I believe for a picture to be “good” or not, depends on many factors and is really dependent on what the viewer perceives. I only can control the photo I shoot; I can’t control the perception from the outside world.
So what do you look for when you’re out looking for your next motif to capture?
Everything is in the moment. I usually have an idea of where I want to shoot, but everything else is In the moment.
You and your work have been featured in some big name magazines, such as: Dazed, Vogue, Wired, King Kong, Ssense and more… What is that experience like? Seeing your work in such renowned publications?
When I picked I up a camera, I never had any ambition to be showcased or recognized . I did it on the humble, to make connections with people in my city. To be featured in these publications is cool, something I was never striving to do as a photographer when I first picked up a camera.
You’ve also worked with some huge brands, such as: Nike Cortez, adidas, Born x Raised, Heaven x Marc Jacobs, Ryan Garcia x Abercrombie and Moose Knuckles, to name a few. Do you ever feel pressure to deliver when you’re working with such big brands?
At first I did. But that’s an illusion that these big names with big money want to wrap inside your brain. I look at it with balance; I want to always shoot with all my heart and skill no matter the project; that’s my name on it.
But I don’t care any more about a brand or corporation or what they think. I’ll take their money and if they like my photos cool and if not, fuck em.
I make my money as a teacher; Monday through Saturday. I can care less to bow down and brown nose with any creative directors or corporations. They don’t dictate my creativity or my livelihood.
What makes photography your prefered medium of expressing yourself?
That’s a great question. It’s my way to paint a picture , create a scene in a film , produce a song for a musician. It’s the best way I can show my heart and soul and reach other people.
With that in mind. You shoot in both black and white and colored pictures. If you were to choose, what would you prefer and why?
I cant really say. They both are amazing and beautiful in their own ways.
Can you tell me about some of your favorite memories from being on shooting in the field?
I think when I’m in an environment; my favorite time is when I’m feeling the energy and spirit of the environment. It is bringing to life the people in the photo but it is also bringing me to life as well. Where I’m on that fine line between jumping in the mix and participating . And also stepping back a little to document.
Other than the camera and lens. Are there any essential items that you always bring with you when shooting?
First off, I never walk around with my camera out. It’s in my backpack. I first approach a person and start a convo about wanting to shoot this person.
The second essential item is a book of my photos; to legitimize myself as a photographer to the person I want to shoot. I believe they feel more trust with me when they have a chance to see my work and know that I’m real and serious.
What motivates and inspires you?
Everyday people creating, living, working, surviving; in a country that does so much to exploit and take from everyday people.
How would you describe a perfect day?
A day in which I feel happy, feel loved and give love, a day in which I feel calm and peaceful.
Anybody you look up to?
I look up to my students. They are selfless in the pursuit of creating a better life for themselves and their families.
Alright Sean. I always ask these two questions at the end of an interview. The first is. What’s your favorite movie(s) and why?
Ahhh damn. I’m better with directors than specific movies!
I think Spike Lee is my favorite director; Do the Right Thing, Malcom X, Jungle Fever and Clockers.
The second is. What song(s) are you currently listening to the most right now?
On current rotation : Brent Faiyaz – forever yours . Future , Metro Boomin , Kendrick Lamar – like that. Teddy Pendergrass – Love TKO. Bryson tiller – outside. 310 Babii- back it up . Big Sad 1900 – circles on Figueroa st. Fireboy DML- someone . Teeezy , Saviii 3rd-issues . Blxst , Bino Rideaux – doin yo stuff