Pearl Jam were about to hit Sydney in a few days, and while I was out running errands, a poster caught my eye—photography exhibition. Curiosity kicked in. On the day, I got up early and headed into the city to check it out. Somewhere on the train, I figured I’d look up the photographer’s website. A quick scroll… and then it hit me—wait a second. I’d seen these images before. Not once, not twice—everywhere. Magazines, posters, promo shots… these photos had been part of my world for years without me even realising who was behind them.
That photographer was Chris Cuffaro. The list of artists he’s worked with is endless. At the exhibition, Chris gave a talk, breaking down the stories behind the shots—this time mostly focused on Pearl Jam, but with a few unexpected gems thrown in. I remember thinking, so you’re the guy behind all these images I’ve been looking at my whole life. As you can imagine, everyone had something to ask. One after another, Chris fired back answers—funny, sharp, sometimes a little sarcastic, and completely unfiltered. No PR filter, no safe answers—just honesty. After the exhibition, we said we’d stay in touch—the kind of thing people say all the time. But this time, it actually stuck. A few days later, we were still talking, and before long I found myself helping him out with an exhibition here in Sydney, a workshop, and a few other projects—getting a closer look at his world along the way.And as you’d expect, the stories are endless. Talking to him feels like a mix between a rollercoaster ride and a trip back in time. That’s when it hit me—I had to sit down and do a proper interview with him.