Interview: Landon Metz

How rad would it be to live the life of Landon Metz? He travels around the world taking stunning photos in collaboration with his beautiful and talented wife, artist Hannah Metz. He put on shows, make zines and connects a league of rising art stars through his curatorial project, The Company of People. And he paints, graphic designs, and blogs, to boot. Awesome, right? The world is his oyster. Read on to find out what Landon was like as a mid-90′s tween in Phoenix, Arizona.

What inspired you to start a curatorial project of photogrpahers and artists?
I want to support young creative people and encourage them to continue creating as much as possible. I think it’s culturally important that we invest time and energy on emerging artists and give them outlets for their work.

Is The Company of People more like Motown or Dischord?
Haha Dischord! I bought my first Fugazi record when I was 12 and it was monumental for me. I spent the whole summer listening to it on repeat. I also kissed a girl for the first time that same summer; yeah!

How did you learn about publishing and zinemaking? What attracts you to print?
Practice makes perfect I guess! I grew up in an environment littered with zines and I think it’s just something that just makes sense to me, if you want to make something just make it. I’m a very visual and tactile person, as well as an avid reader, books play a big role in my life. Printed matter is a natural progression for me.

How did you become acquainted with the artists in the Company?
It’s kind of become a big family over time. If we weren’t friends before the site we usually meet and become close. It’s brought so many amazing people into my life and it’s worth it for that reason alone!

What are the challenges involved in putting together a gallery show representing so many diverse artists?
SHIPPING!

What were you like in junior high?
I loved Lookout Records and Sam Raimi movies! I thought I was into skateboarding but I was never any good at it. I drew a lot. I taped every episode of Ren and Stimpy ever and would pause it so I could draw them. My parents owned hair salons and my brother and I would hang out there after school a lot and watch Hercules and Xena in the back room and eat sandwiches from the deli next door. We were also really big on going to the arcade down the street and playing Bust-A-Move. We had fun man! Forever!

Where did you take the photos on your recent trip? Where would you most like to visit and shoot?
I just recently did a trip to Hawaii, Vancouver, Los Angeles and Arizona. Hawaii was so amazing and thats where most of the photos were taken, on the island of Kauai. I absolutely fell in love with Kauai and want to retire there and live sustainably off my own land, and take lots of pictures of it.

What is it like being so involved in the same creative procceses as your wife, Hannah?
It’s fun! I think its really great to be in a relationship with someone who’s on the same page as you at so many levels. We both work from home and spend a lot of time together, enjoying every minute of it. She offers a great amount of insight to everything I’m working on and vice-versa.

What’s next?
I have lots of new personal work coming very soon. Been exploring new mediums and new ideas. It’s summer in New York right now, everything is next.