Interview: Thomas Ruuth
Luca Curci talks with Thomas Ruuth during MIXING IDENTITIES, third appointment of CANVAS ART FAIR, at THE LINE Contemporary Art Space in London.

I’m Thomas Ruuth and I´m an artist/photographer who resides in Sweden. I started up in the late 70’s and early 80’s and it’s been a long and turbulent journey but also a very exciting and wonderful one! Until about 2005 I worked with pastel/collage/gouache, but then Photoshop took over completely. I like colors and I want to say something in my works, it can be about the world we are living in or my own thoughts and impressions. But never get dull!

Luca Curci – How did you get to photography? Do you remember why you took your first professional photo?
Thomas Ruuth – It all really started when the digital cameras became available and Photoshop came out on the market. My first professional photo/artwork in digital media dates back to 2005 (‘Dream Sequence’).

LC – How much is the editing process important? How’s yours?
TR – The editing is do or die! I start with a basic idea and then it’s kind of a magical and mysterious tour up to some point where all pieces fall into the right place.

LC – Where do you find your inspiration?
TR – The inspiration is everywhere, from kitchen waste to fantasy alien/alternative worlds!

LC – How do you choose your subjects? Is it a reasoned or an instinctive process?
TR – After some time in the creative process a kind of ”bug” evolves and becomes part of an intuitive process. It’s almost like it had its own consciousness.

LC – Do you use art to express something in particular? Is it like your medium of expression?
TR – Yes, it’s almost like a medium of expression. I use art to express many things, from global issues to my own thoughts and impressions.

LC – What do you think about the concept of this festival? How did it inspire you?
TR – ‘Mixing Identities’ concept suits me well, Luca is right… ITSLIQUID is really the perfect platform for my works! It was Ilaria who sent me an email back in November and wanted me to participate.

LC – In which way the artwork presented in our exhibition is connected with the festival’s theme?
TR – It consists of six works (30×30 cm) mounted on an aluminium plate covered in acrylic glass. Like I explained before, they are part of the variety of the human persons and their diversity.

LC – What do you think about the organization of our event?
TR – I think it was a smooth and professional organization!

LC – Would you suggest a collaboration with us? What do you think about our services?
TR – I would really like a continuous collaboration with ITSLIQUID for the future to come, the selected artists are of high level, both in terms of skills and quality!

LC – Do you think ITSLIQUID GROUP can represent an opportunity for artists?
TR – Yes, definitely!