Artists

A closer look to the philosophical photographer Irene Cruz

Courtesy :Irene Cruz !

Short summary about you?

I am someone that can’t live without creating. I’m in love with Berlin’s blue-light and weather, I actually moved here from Spain because of that, even if it sounds a bit crazy. My name is Irene Cruz, and I am a photographer, cinematographer, performer, and video artist. I sometimes teach in different schools and universities, I love to create little photobooks with my hands, and I also love to show my work, and discuss with the others about the philosophy and ideas that fill my mind. My artworks have been exhibited, at the moment, in more than 350 art fairs, exhibitions, and festivals all over the world.

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Daughter Of The Moon I© Irene Cruz

How did you find your voice as an artist?

Spending time with myself is important. I normally live in my parallel world half of the time. I’m not scared of failure, what is important to me to create, I believe that nothing we do is by accident. By failing I learn about what I can improve and what I don’t like, which is also important. I love to daydream. I give myself plenty of time to think, to write the things I connect with on a note book. With this in mind, I try my artworks to be a mirror of my inner universe as much as I can.

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Courtesy :Irene Cruz !

Could you describe your procedure for a new photo project?

I look within myself, for which I normally start drawing and painting on a notebook the images that appear in my mind. I also write down other ideas that may emanate from the main one. In Berlin it is very easy for me to find the places I imagine.

When I have an initial idea, I ask myself a lot of questions about it, I ask others about their own thoughts. I read about it, and I start a creative process to express it through my photographic language. When the idea starts to be solid, I prepare the shootings. Sometimes I need an assistant, because normally I shoot when its raining, or I am working inside of a lake. Since I work 99% of the times with natural light, I only shoot when light condition is best outside. I feel comfortable in blue-lights, I feel it truly represents the spirit of my work and that is the most important thing for me. If I don’t like the light, I don’t work.

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Daughter of the Moon IX© Irene Cruz

Where comes your inspiration from?

No idea ever comes to me suddenly; it sits inside me for a while until it reaches the surface. I am not sure where exactly my ideas come from. Berlin, and the experiences that I have here really help on that, it is an amazing place to create. It is very important to feeling inspired to go elsewhere: to move away from the city and into the forest. I also enjoy to sit on a plane and disconnect from the world for a number of hours. Train journeys are good. Sometimes I sit on the Berliner ring S- Bahn as it loops around the city.

I observe people; I watch movies or music videos, I read, I think about the conversations that I have. Sometimes the inspiration comes from the imagination that awakens the books that I read, mostly of them, philosophy or sociology of authors like Nietzsche, Simmel, Ritter, Spinoza, Heidelberg, or Sennett. These are some of my favourites.

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Courtesy : Irene Cruz !

Which artists impressed you the most?

I am especially fascinated by filmmaker Terrance Malick, I would say that he is my big reference. I love his way of working, his way of telling stories. I also love the work of Mona Kuhn (a great brazilian photographer I follow), Bill Viola, Gregory Crewdson, Emmanuel Lubezki, Lance Acord or Michel Gondry…

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Daughter of the Moon VI © Irene Cruz

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