Jose Ruiz González

Hailing from the picturesque Canary Islands, Jose Ruiz González has dedicated an impressive 23 years to the realm of visual communication, teaching and shaping minds in the art of creative expression. His home, nestled within the vibrant colors and breathtaking landscapes of the Canary Islands, undoubtedly contributes to his unique artistic perspective.

Upon discovering his captivating work, it became evident that his experience as a seasoned professor of visual communication has significantly influenced his artistic prowess. His compositions resonate with an unparalleled visual language that captures attention and sparks curiosity. His photographs, awash with vivid hues and a perpetual air of joy, seem to radiate a bright smile that connects with viewers on a personal level.

Through his lens, Jose paints a delightful living experience in his hometown offering us a glimpse into the extraordinary world he has come to know so well. It's my belief that his work is a testament to the beauty and intricacies of the human experience, inviting us to embrace the world with open hearts and a passion for exploration.

Join me as we embark on a fascinating voyage with this exceptional individual, whose photography bridges the gap between sky, ocean and land, offering a vibrant window into his vibrant world.

1. The vibrant blue skies, clouds, and colorful walls in your photographs seem intimately tied to your hometown. Could you tell us about the role your local environment plays in shaping your artistic vision? Additionally, what initially drew you to photography, and how did you go about developing the distinctive style that we see in your work today?

I live in a highly attractive environment, in a colorful seaside village at the entrance of the city of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria. Living by the shore projects you towards new places that reside wherever the horizon is, and the island ceases to be an island and transforms into a continent, a continent that traverses the sea. Obviously, under these circumstances, the landscape is etched into my gaze, which roams towards the sea and towards the city itself.

My relationship with photography stems from my work as a post-conceptual artist, where languages and tools are used unabashedly by this artistic movement. I use video, photography, objects, or installations for my creative work.

2. Your photographs often feature moments of everyday life infused with humor. Could you explain how you identify and capture these joyful situations?

As Charles Chaplin said: "Laugh and the world laughs with you; weep, and you weep alone." It's true, humor is a fundamental tool to embrace life and avoid despair. We, as communicators, have the obligation to help view our surroundings in an intelligent way; we need to take ownership of the social space and find a place where we feel adapted. It's in this dialogue with the environment where I find these situations that connect me to the place in a positive manner. Humor, when derived from intelligence, creativity, and knowledge, becomes a fundamental tool for the development of my work.

3. The captivating compositions with a juxtaposition of geometric shapes and weathered walls also often feature in your photographs. Could you elaborate on your creative process and share how you come up with these intriguing compositions? How do you balance the arrangement of elements like walls and shapes to create such visually engaging scenes?

There is an emotional relationship with architecture. The houses in my neighborhood, as they meet the sea and the horizon line, are a constant exercise in composition for me, playing with lines and volumes of the houses. The environment transforms into a mental operation that isolates it from its urban function, allowing me to rethink and re-signify it emotionally and visually.

4. Your photographs display a keen eye for detail and careful observation of the environment. How do you train yourself to notice the subtleties that others might overlook?

I've been working as a visual communication professor for 23 years, so my gaze is highly trained. I spend my days analyzing and correcting images from a visual and intellectual standpoint. In the end, all of this forms a way of being and seeing the world. I'm one of those who believe that we see through intellect; our gaze is an active exercise of intelligence in all its forms.

5. Your photographs consistently capture the essence of humanity and everyday life with a sense of compassion. Can you elaborate on how you use photography as a means to express your unique perspective and emotions?

Indeed, there is a symbolic essence in my work that expresses the abstraction of being, transforming into frames of a very pure geometric abstraction. Thus, landscape and architecture appear in an emotional representation. I try to heighten the senses of observers to evoke emotions through shapes, spaces, volumes, colors, and natural elements.

6. Island life appears to be a significant source of inspiration for your work. Could you tell us about the role your environment plays in shaping your photographic ideas?

The gaze from the island is always a reflection on the boundary that circumscribes it. This boundary is also social; therefore, my images always implicitly carry the meaning of the limits that humans establish in certain natural environments, endowing them with a singularity that makes them function as isolated territories. Living on an island always generates a dependency on the global due to the need for knowledge acquisition. Although most of the topics that interest me are universal and relate to the human condition and its relationship with the environment.

7. Clouds are a recurring element in many of your photographs, adding a distinctive touch to your compositions. Could you share what draws you to clouds as a subject and how you incorporate them to enhance the storytelling in your work?

Clouds are an important icon in the surrealistic iconography tradition, and precisely in the Canary Islands, Surrealism found intense roots, with a group of artists that André Breton supported and maintained a fluid relationship with Parisian Surrealism. Despite that surrealistic and visual poetry play I seek with clouds, there is almost always a willingness to relate and align clouds with the landscape and architecture, perhaps with a desire to connect the sky and the earth.

8. Your photographs evoke a strong sense of place. How do you balance capturing the essence of the Canary Islands while infusing your personal creative perspective?

The daily environment reflected in my photographs inherently carries its relationship with the islands. It's true that each of the elements I depict is part of the place's identity, but I always try to communicate something more with my images than what lies beneath this iconography. I like to tell stories; there is always a story behind my images that typically relates to the human condition and its relationship with the environment in a social and global manner.

9. In your photographs, you achieve a notable balance between precise observation and a touch of wit. Could you delve into how your acute awareness of composition influences your approach to selecting and capturing subjects in your photography?

As I mentioned earlier, the gaze originating from thought generates images like the ones I create. These images seem well-constructed, compositionally and formally, but there is always a conceptual background that forms the true internal structure of my photographs. Each of the elements is organized based on the stories they want to tell.

10. As an artist, what do you hope viewers gain from your photographs? How do you intend to leave a lasting impression on your audience through your work?

I simply hope they understand the stories that my photographs tell. Bringing a smile to their faces is a gift, and inspiring them to view their environment through reason and emotion is a desire. Ultimately, my goal is to share the necessity of reflecting on and seeking a better world in which to live.

Thanks Jose Ruiz González and please find more his works @casaruiz

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