Ruben Brulat

Featured in No.6
www.rubenbrulat.com



How would you define intimacy in your life, and in the eyes of the public?
Understanding the other one. That ’s how I see it, in public or in my life. Another that ’ll be able to understand someone else. From where he comes from, how and why the person behaves this way, right now. Understanding that we are living with others, that people are influencing us, unconsciously in bad or in a good way. We consider them. All of us. Creating who we are since our birth. Creating those complex personalities. That makes us unique. Understanding someone else at this level. Is entering in his intimacy.

What about our world inspires you?
First of all, photography is the only place where I feel at my place, where I have the feeling of complete freedom. It ’s certainly a way to isolate myself from Humans because they simply fascinate me. I love looking at them, every move, every detail, every word they are saying. Then I consider each of those in the society, who they are, what they are doing... But quickly I consider the masses I wanna understand why people in groups/society do that, how, and why they choose this direction. They fascinate me, by their complexity that makes their beauty. That ’s why I ’ll lead my path from the past to now and the future, to study them, to try and understand them, mostly what the groups are doing, the societies. Why societies are having recurring decisions over the History. Why they are scared of death, why.... etc, many questions as diverse and complex as Humans are, an lead their path. Because for me photography is to capture Humanity. Expressing happiness, sadness, joy, despair, love, or pain, passion or frustration. All of the Feelings that makes us live.

What are you most afraid of?
Us. Because of all the hope I have in us. The fact that we can do good and terrible things. The fact that we can imagine, invent and create. The fact that we can ignore, deny, and destroy. The fact that we can hate and abandon. The fact that we can love. The way that we are so different and diverse. I’m afraid because I hope, I really hope that we will never loose those feelings.

Are you involved in any sort of philanthropy?
I hope to be involved through my work. Through the message I try to tell. Through all the convictions I have and try to describe and communicate.

You have many blurbs on your site explaining/ detailing your work. Do you feel that these are necessary to take the “edge ” off of the fear of nudity the public has?
I don ’t think that people are afraid of nudity. I also don’t think that my work shows an obvious nudity. A body Naked out there, in the snow, a frozen lake or in the middle of an urban area, creates for me only this asexual Human, showing and expressing, our vulnerability, smallness, symbiosis and also his beauty.

What is your favorite piece of equipment?
They are like tools to me. And I have no favorites.



“Necessity [is] the mother of invention ” according to the ancient philosopher, Plato. What odd or creative tactics have you used to get the “perfect shot? ”
The need is the base of everything. I’ll not talk about those subjects, if I didn’t need it. I ’ll not place myself naked in the middle of those buildings, in a frozen lake, or cover by snow, if I didn ’t need it. A vital need that comes when I think about a shot, an idea. Imagining the scene in my head, then letting my body walk, hours, and hours, searching the spot that ’ll make me feel something so strong, and it will tell me. Then an intense need comes in. The next minute I’ll be naked, running, to the spot where I’ll settle myself.

How, step by step is a piece such as those from the “Primates” collection done?
Expressing, vulnerability of the Human specie in his natural environment, showing smallness, beauty, but also symbiosis that we have with. “Primates”, Showing Humans no more considerate as individualities part of the specie, but considerate as a basic animal, keeping his entire beauty, drama, symbiosis, or dissociation. Replacing Human specie a the smae level of any other one.
Putting my body on the shots to create an asexual Human to show that we can be in symbiosis but also in complete dissociation. Walking in the mountains trying to find the perfect spot, I walked all day alone till I feel something so strong, and it will tell me. Then I settle the camera, the excitement grows, put the timer on, get naked, and run, feeling an incredible mix of euphoria and adrenaline. I feel nothing. All the cold, or pain is gone like inhibited by the mix of feelings. I feel everything. I settle my body. The time is suspended. I feel in peace.

Does anyone assist you in capturing these shots?
I’m alone. It brings more fun. At least for these series.

Who, if anyone, has affected your work?
I’m influenced by , Amy Stein for her point of view about "us", Erwin Olaf for his work on individualities but so true for societies, Clayton Cubitt for his futility, Pieter Hugo for his audacity, Gregory Crewdson for the moments that he is able to create, Julia Fullerton-Batten for her creativity, Alex Prager for the universe she created, Noah Kalina for his instants shots but created instants shots.
It’s eclectic.

Where would you most like to travel?
Where inspiration leads me.



Have you ever ran into trouble when creating your art?
I never had.

As a child, what did you aspire to be?
I aspired to be an Astronaut, being able to see the world from far away. Today I’m not an Astronaut but I try everyday to see the world from far away, using another way. Or at least I try.

How did you get involved in nude photography?
I needed to do it. To create this Human.

What is most important in good photography?
Having pleasure. Extraordinary pleasure. The one that you never felt before.
And before the desire, the need, that will makes you find the good composition, the good concept, using the good technics, that’ll make the good photographs.

How much editing goes into your work?
I don’t transform anything from the scene.

Other than the obvious use of unique geography and bare skin, what makes you distinctive in the world of photography?
I hope it is my convictions. This message that I bring always with my photographs. Trying to explain and show how societies are doing. The way they behave. Trying to capture Humanity.



What is your favorite image of?
Maybe the one in the frozen lake.

What does the world need more of? Less of?
I wish to see more and more inspiring leaders, not only in politics, people who will be able to bring Human specie to get new perspectives and hope. I wish to see more people realize the chance we have, to be in such a great and unique place. That we come from an incredible result of circumstances and resulting from the long evolution way.
And I hope we will realize it in groups, in societies, being able to change things. Being able to continue the long evolution. But I have no doubt about that. I’m convinced that Humans are and in the end, or close to the end, good. Finding this force to live, and change things.

What makes you undeniably happy?
When I share with you. When I wake up and it’s snowing. When I hear good music. When there is an acordion playing in the Parisian metro. When I meet a girl that is shy. When I look at her hair in the wind. When she smiles at me, and when I answer with a shy smile. When some rain flirt with faces in a warm day.
When I find the spot of my next photographs there is an intense pleasure. And there I feel happy. Or when the excitement grows. Or even when, the desire, the need is at his apogee. Or when I get naked. And when an incredibly intense pleasure, mixed with adrenaline comes in. And when I run. When I’m euphoric. When the pain, the cold, is like gone, ihnibate by the melt of every emotions that transverse my body. When I settle my body. When whe moment feels suspended. And when I feel in peace, there the happiness is at his apogee.

Anything else you would like to state:
Thanks, there I’m happy too.

Interviewed by Callie Rice
December 2009