Meet LA-based Artist Joe Duca
Joe Duca is a film director, writer, editor and occasional actor living in Los Angeles, CA. Check out his work at www.josephduca.com.
CATHOLIC ARTIST CONNECTION: Where are you from originally, and what brought you to Los Angeles?
JOE DUCA: I'm originally from the suburbs of Northern Virginia, which is basically like being from Wal-Mart, USA. I spent a lot of time riding my huffy in loops of endless cul-de-sacs and eating McNuggets. It wasn’t exactly the adventure a boy longs for; I was always dreaming of leaving. See, as long as I’ve wanted to do anything, I’ve wanted to make movies. And LA was the place where the movies were made. So I always knew I’d move to California, and that’s what I did after college about eight years ago.
How do understand your vocation as a Catholic artist?
A lot of thoughtful people have made this point before, but I believe the Catholic artist’s role is the same as a Catholic plumber’s role: to be a good craftsman. In doing his work well and honestly, he gives witness by the excellence of his work.
Particularly in film, I don’t believe Catholic artists are called to be overly didactic and “advertise” faith, like a commercial or some laminate brochure in a turnpike rest stop. Instead, being a Catholic is a way of being and experiencing the world that is then reflected in a Catholic filmmaker’s vision. And hopefully what he sees and shares is some of the joy, sacrifice, and mystery bound up in leading a life of faith. To unveil something of the inscapes of things, to dive into the mystery, to reach into life and capture a glimpse, a flicker, a little something of the eternal… that’s the essence of art to me. To reach for God through His creation, and hopefully, embrace Him.
Filmmaking is in my blood. I almost think in 24 frames per second. So much of my experience is filtered through snippets of memory, colored by imagination, dreams pulling at the edge of things. What the art of filmmaking does is capture those memories and dreams, preserving them to be communicated to others. In a similar vein, being Catholic is just who I am. Love being God, and God being Christ, and Christ’s heart being present so intimately in the Eucharist, and the Eucharist being in Church—there’s really no way around it. That ever-present Love demands mission of us.
So I view my work in the world, my vocation even, as to offer who I am to God. That’s all any of us can do. And for me filmmaking is part of how I try to offer myself to God and others.
Where have you found support in the Church for your vocation as an artist?
Spending a semester in Rome, literally standing in physical churches adorned with art by the great masters, played a big role for me in affirming that art is a vocation. I remember looking up at a Bernini sculpture, moved both by its grandeur and by the way that art is entwined in the legacy of the Church. In encountering the physical architecture and the history of the Church, there’s such an affirmation of the role of beauty and the need for artists to offer their talents in support of the Church. Being in Rome awakened in me the realization that the Church is asking me and other artists to give of ourselves, that art can be an avenue by which we help sanctify and by which we are sanctified. It’s not selfish to want to create; it can be a gift. The heart of the Church is adorned with beauty.
Where in Los Angeles do you regularly find artistic fulfillment?
In Los Angeles, there’s a sense that you’re at the center of culture—there are a wealth of opportunities for artistic fulfillment. Los Angeles is almost Baroque, embellished with every creed and culture. One of the most fulfilling parts of living in Los Angeles is how you can easily alternate between the offerings of the big city and the quieter natural beauty nearby… within an hour you could be at the mountains, the beach, or nearing the desert.
Overall, there’s a bigness and a dynamism to Los Angeles which I think draws out the creativity of many artists. The fullness of the place feels like America erupting, and I like volcanoes. ;) More specifically, I often write and brainstorm with writer-friends in the community here. Also, I just wrapped up a workshop through the Moving Picture Institute for a funeral home documentary I’m working on. While not LA-based, the workshop has been a helpful source of information and idea-sparking.
How have you found or built community as a Catholic artist in your city?
I’ve made movies with friends I originally met at Church here! One then-stranger I met after Mass said we should get coffee, and we did, talking about Jesus and Richard Linklater. Just months later, we were working on a film together. From the earliest days, I’ve found Catholic friends here who have been not just artistically supportive, but also emotionally supportive.
When I first moved here, I was living in a flop house with like 26 people in the Hollywood Hills, and a Catholic friend recognized that it wasn’t a great situation and invited me to live at his apartment instead. Communities grow and change, but my experience of the artistic community in Los Angeles over the past eight years is that there has been a consistency of kind and decent Catholics here who are trying to follow Jesus.
How do you financially support yourself as an artist?
I know firsthand that it requires an immense amount of hustle to work a day job and pursue your artistic discipline as well. It can be hard to find a balance, but as you’re working toward pursuing your artistic pursuits full-time, it’s good to have a stable source of income to keep you grounded. You’re more likely to make bad decisions if you’re hungry, lonely, or financially stressed. Being an artist is a lifelong thing. So in the spirit of it being a marathon, not a sprint, my aim has been to set myself up in such a way that I can create consistently and hone my craft over time. Everyone’s story is different, but I’ve found that opportunities come from that.
How do you market your art and/or build a professional network as an artist?
When you are starting out, you want to do as many favors for other people in your industry as you can. Add value to as many projects as you can, in a sincere, not Machiavellian way. Always look for people you can help, and help them — that’s a Christian thing to do and also a smart thing to do. Instead of what can this person in the industry do for me, what can I do to help them? Most people get work because of a) the relationships they’ve built over time and b) their commitment to improving their craft through a daily habit of creation.
I’ve also found that it’s important to maintain a professional website, and to always get a second (and third) set of eyes on a contract before signing.
What other practical resources would you recommend to a Catholic artist living in Los Angeles?
There’s so much beauty in the city, you shouldn’t let the highways and the noise overwhelm you. Go to The Getty, the beaches in Malibu, the Gamble House, the annual Topanga art tour, Forest Lawn’s massive Crucifixion exhibit, the old movie theaters. The Glendale Library system has surprisingly good free concerts.
What are your top 3 pieces of advice for Catholic artists post-graduation?
1. Be ruthless about discovering who you are and growing in virtue. Don’t run away from relationship. Don’t lose your sense of wonder.
2. Live a full human life. Jump into it. Do it now. Don’t be afraid to fail. The world needs your gifts. You have an obligation to yourself, and everyone you love, to see if it is in you to cultivate them.
3. Don’t be afraid if other people don’t understand your heart right away. The artistic vocation can be a lonely one, but it is also a beautiful one— and the fruits of loneliness can be a profound community.
P.S. If you’d like to support a fellow artist, please check out my movies: Her Name Was Jo on Paramount Plus or Amazon Prime and Evergreen (also on Amazon). My website has plenty of goodies and links as well: josephduca.com