Not without our fat Cat Bear
The young NYC photographer duo Mat+Kat is the absolute star of the fashion world. Their real names are Mateusz Sliwa and Katherine Bayard and they´re well known in the indie scene. They have already had photo series in Chinese Vogue, V Magazine and Paper Magazine. Their speciality is the editorial, even if they would like to shoot an alien for a change. Until the invasion from outer space, the two dance in clubs in Paris, are inspired by the shadows of trash and continue to enchant us with their edgy aesthetics.
Do you believe in magic?
In a sense yes, there’s always the chance of an off moment captured while shooting, generally referred to as a happy accident. I think in a way that is a kind of magic to photographers.
How was your weekend?
Our weekend was great — we traveled from London to Paris where we went to a club called Carmen where our friends Leopolda & Dora were mixing.
What's bugging you most these times?
People photoshopping B&W film borders onto color images.
If you had to decide: city or nature?
Impossible to decide, both are needed to keep a balance in our lives and in our work.
It is a cheesy question but what inspires you?
Inspiration is pretty random for us — it could be anything from an episode of the twilight zone, to old photographers and painters, to the way light hits a pile of trash.
How would you describe your relationship?
A collaboration between artists who happen to be best friends. Our personal work is so pretty opposite but when we work together we produce something completely different from both. Our work is developed through our collective creative process and conversation.
"We could never do without our fat cat Bear."
What does beauty mean to you?
Beauty is subjective so there’s no really answer to this question. Our personal perception of beauty it is constantly changing so this is a question that can only be answered in the spur of the moment.
You work a lot with models. What kind of model are you interested in?
We’re interested in models that really bring their personality to set. It tends to be the case with older models, but sometimes a younger one can surprise you! It really shows in the photographs, for example someone like Manami Kinoshita, who is wild and funny, is one of the best people to photograph, because her personality shines through in the images and in her movements.
Do you prefer taking pictures of women or men or people in-between?
We haven’t had many opportunities to shoot men, but I think we prefer to shoot women, just generally the fashion tends to be more interesting, although we’re open to all subjects. Fingers crossed for a portrait of an exterrestrial being.
What do you enjoy most about your job?
We get the chance to merge art and a commercial living and we play professional dress up.
If your parents could have chosen your profession, what would you have become?
Kat—A biologist
Mat—A lawyer
"Fingers crossed for a portrait of an exterrestrial being."
What could you never do without in your life?
Black Gaff Tape, Sparkling Water and our fat cat Bear.
Who has gotten desire to exchange deeper into the cosmos of the photographer duo Mat+Kat, should start with their WEBSITE.
