To the popular eye, the worlds of professional photography and videography can often feel stale and homogenous, industries full of fungible talents where one hire is as good as the next. There are, however, some unique artistic visions in these fields, image-makers whose style leaves an unmistakable mark.

Indiana Piorek is one of these. Most often identifiable by low-fi image quality, outlandish and unsettling compositions, and thematic explorations of medicine, music, and the human body, Indiana’s work is entirely singular, solely his.

It’s a style that has taken him to great professional heights; Indiana has photographed Kim, and filmed music videos for Carti. But it is in his own artistic world that his vision is most developed. With multiple ongoing projects and creative collaborations, as well as his recent multi-modal performance Blood Drain, Indiana is building a visual ecosystem that depicts the modern condition in a new light.

From the horror and miracles of modern medicine, to the mutilation and beauty of the modern body, Indiana’s work confronts a darker side of the world we’ve built, the one we live in and take for granted. It’s a world he knows from experience. Read about how, and much more.

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Welcome: What’s your story?

Indiana: I'm from Orange County. My dad was a racer so I grew up in an RV going to Vegas every month, on the racetracks, being a gay boy in a bro world with a bunch of bimbos around me. I also grew up in the hospital practically due to traumatic family accidents. My family had a lot of accidents, so I spent a lot of time at the hospital. That's what's brought me here. Everyone on Instagram acts like they are trash and loves to copy the vibes, or think I use the medical world as an aesthetic, but I actually lived that. 

Welcome: What are some pivotal moments in your creative journey?

Indiana: Growing up broke I stole cameras from Goodwill, and when I got older I realized that actually shooting on these shitty cameras is all I know how to do. I didn't go to school for anything. People love this shitty low-fi aesthetic but in reality it's all I had. I would love to be able to do something else, but I genuinely only know how to do that. A pivotal moment was accepting that that's what I taught myself and realizing I can make a career out of it, using shitty cameras and not knowing what I'm doing at all. Basically scamming.

W: What do you think resonates with people about that aesthetic?

I: Everything looks better that way. I genuinely think, especially shooting women, and this goes back to me being lazy, but when I shoot I know someone's going to look good. I don't have to worry about editing. This whole world of budgets and having to spend so much to edit things and blah blah blah. With my stuff, I don't have to even think twice. 

Who is Tiffany?

Tiffany is me in prosthetics. This is something that people don't know, and is kind of an important thing. I went to high school with a girl, we can't say her name, but she was the most psychotic ratchet girl. She looked exactly like Tiffany and I was clinically obsessed with her. After my career took off and I realized I could create my own art, I had the thought to become the person that I'm obsessed with. So I turned myself into her basically. And it's not drag. That's one thing. People say it’s drag but it’s not. I don't want to be a woman. It's hell. I praise them for what they do.

What has that experience been like? Adopting another persona like that.

Now that we've done so many Tiffany shoots, I realize I’ve put myself in a woman's shoes. When I shoot women, I put them in weird situations, but I knew how to do it and deal with men screaming at them, whatever. But once I was in the shoes, I realized what it's like. Men genuinely think that I'm a woman when we're doing the shoots, and the things they say and do are totally insane. I used to think, "Oh, who gives a shit?" But then once I did it, I realized how fucking annoying it is.

What’s the craziest thing you've experienced on a shoot as Tiffany?

This one wasn't as uncomfortable, just hilarious. We were shooting at my friend's house and her neighbors came over, and this man was so old that he didn't realize what was going on. Another thing: Tiffany in person is like the ugliest thing you've ever seen. The fact that these men think I'm a woman is what makes me realize you guys are insane. Like you need mental help. Anyway. From the moment this man came in he was rubbing his hands, and we asked if he wanted to touch the boobs. Well he started just fully groping me. Then his wife came in.

Do you think that the process of you becoming obsessed with this persona of Tiffany and trying to become her relates at all to the process of women pursuing a particular kind of body through plastic surgery?

Me being obsessed with this girl that was 17 was the beginning of me realizing like women will do anything. Men will do anything too, but girls will get chopped in half to have these things. But I'm obsessed. If I was a woman, I would want all of it. I think it's iconic. But it’s insane. It's the real life Frankenstein of our generation. But in a good way. We're all sitting here watching it. I think anyone can do whatever they want with their body. Even when it comes to men wanting to be a lizard, I think it's so lit. Anything like that.

Is there a line for you anywhere? A point where it becomes freaky?

No, nothing phases me. This is another thing that goes into my work. Like when I see my work, to me it is so normal that it is kind of boring. But a normal person looks at it and thinks it’s fucking ridiculous. I don't know if I'm jaded or brainwashed.

Tell me about this Blood Drain project.

I've never really talked about it. Even when I was younger, I always included medical stuff in my work. People love to relate it to so many past artists, this person, that person. When I did my Blood Drain show, I realized where it came from. Like I said, my family had a major accident that still affects us. Blood Drain comes from that. Being a gay boy wanting to do fashion, living in a hospital for three years, it all just came together. I also have this weird thing where there’s a woman in me I always feel really uncomfortable, like breaking her body. I can’t explain that, but that came alive too. It also related to my past relationships with boys and never being treated nicely. So it is a bit of a trauma dump that people don’t know. A very personal thing.

What is the process of taking those personal experiences and turning them into a major production like that? Logistically, how do you go about that?

I don't believe in making decks and mood boards because if I'm trying to make something in my head, why am I putting other people's work on it? It just comes naturally.

How do you pick models to work with?

I see things in shapes. This is kind of a touchy subject, but I'm obsessed with perfect people. I don't mean it in a negative way. It's more so, to me, the fact that someone was born like that is insane. A lot of girls I use are fully natural which some people don't believe. I hate to say it, but they're hot. I don't know what to tell you. It's hard to talk about it, but it's obvious. One thing that's really important: the girls I use are the most iconic girls, but I work with them because they'll do anything. People think they just want to be sticking their tits out, but Chloe will literally run through God knows what for the art. That's what I fuck with.

Where does your fascination with horror stem from? Were you into those movies as a kid?

As a kid, my dad took me to a haunted house once and I cried my eyes out, wanted to die. I was so upset. I don't know if that's what triggered something in me. I feel like it was. But I don't love horror just because it's creepy or weird or because I love seeing people get cut up. It’s the production that I love.The special effects, everything, that’s the part I’m obsessed with. Like when I do Tiffany, I get ill by the end of the day. I’m throwing up, I’m sick. The fumes and everything. If someone’s doing this stuff, it’s more than a normal movie. That’s how I see it.

On Instagram you said that the people who were there at the Blood Drain show will get it and no one else will. What was that night like?

I’d never done anything like that. Big learning experience. Wouldn’t do it like that again. There’s so many levels to it. So it was a mashup of all of my vibes in one. And I just feel like if you were there, you saw it. But a video, any photos, absolutely don’t show a thing to me. After I did it, I was like, I don’t understand how anyone would understand what I did. In person, it was lit, you know? But in video and photos, it doesn’t translate.

I'm curious about the role that AI plays in your work or how you use it as a tool, and how that’s developed over the years.

I have not ever used it until recently. I hate it. Despise it with a burning passion. Would love to get rid of it. But I can’t help it. It’s so insane, the shit that it does. Something’s wrong, but that’s fine.

What are your feelings about this development of AI, where it’s going?

I just think it’s going to take people’s jobs. It takes creativity away. That’s what it comes down to, to me. That’s what everyone says, but it’s true.

What’s Meaty?

We live in a world where people on Instagram are like, "I’m a singer, photographer," and it kills me inside because that’s me. Fuck my life. But I love music. I love all of it. I really wanted to just try making music and see what happens. Meaty was my way to make music. A funny thing: my mom gave me the name. She was like, "Meaty is a really good name for a clothing brand." I remember I was like, "You’re out of your fucking mind." 

Do you have a good relationship with your parents?

Yes. Obsessed. My mom loves all of it. But I had to prove it. At first, my mom sat me down and was like, "You're not smart." I was in all special ed classes but tore in all my art classes. I can't read, can't do math, can't do anything. The brain doesn’t work in that sense. When I got out of high school, she was like, "I don't understand the plan." I said, "Do you know who Rob Zombie is?" She said, "No." I said, "That’s the plan." Not that it is now, but at first. But now it's like she sees what's happening. I’m lucky. A lot of people don’t have that.

How do you feel about the state of the way people are dressing today? Are we in a good place?

No. We’re not in a good place. We’re in a bad place right now.

What’s going on?

People don’t have self-identity at all. There’s no self-worth to me. A lot of stealing, just trying to be other people. Maybe a basic answer, but it just is what it is.

Do you have any theories about what is producing that?

I really do, and this is a basic answer too, but social media, honestly, I think is ruining the world. It’s fine—it’s helped my life a lot—but I do think it ruins life in a lot of ways. If I was in the 90s or early 2000s doing this, my life would be like heaven. I think it weeds out a lot of lame people that could have totally not made it then. I just think it would be more authentic and genuine. People don’t know how to have fun anymore. It’s very serious now. Not that it wasn’t then, but it was just more iconic for sure.

Yeah. Are there any things that you do to try and insulate yourself from that?

I don’t look at anything. I can barely think about getting up to go to the gym, so I don’t know how people have time to worry about other people. I’m not worried about anyone else. Maybe this is selfish—I am selfish—and I’m worried about myself, family, friends. That’s it. Could care less about anything else.

What does a day in the life look like for you?

I think people would be very shocked that I’m very boring and really normal. I get up at 6 a.m., go to the gym, go to work, drink coffee all day, and go to bed. I wish I had a better answer, but I’m the most boring person on the planet. And I trust people like that more than others. I also plan my days around watching Mukbangs and eating food at night.

Is there anything that’s inspiring you in your life or giving you energy?

I think the problem is that nothing is inspiring me. I need to figure out what will inspire me next. I’m not feeling any vibes right now.

Where do you go when you’re searching like that? Do you have a strategy? A place?

I go to Burbank. I go to Magnolia Street when I’m not doing well.

When you think about things in life or in art or the world that are beautiful, what comes to mind?

Shoes. I love heels. Shoes—love. Honestly, a good heel and a good car. Heels and blonde hair.

What makes a person beautiful?

Honestly, if someone’s funny and doesn’t care. If people care what others think—you’re fucked. You have to let it go. Me and all my friends have only been able to do what we do because we don’t care. People care about the wrong things. So if someone’s funny and doesn’t give a shit about anything.

Do you have long-term, lifelong goals? What do you want to achieve?

My dream is to do haunted houses. That’s also kind of why I did Blood Drain, to show some theater vibes. And a documentary film about the girls that I shoot and their lives. They have the most insane lives in the middle of America. Doesn’t get any better than that. And moving to Magnolia Street.