10 Questions with Beatriz Montes

Beatriz Montes, or better known as Ruska, is a visual artist, photographer, illustrator, video artist, and performer born in Madrid, Spain (1998) that shows violence and experimental ethnography through those disciplines.

A few pieces of her artwork have been presented on exhibitions at La Trasera (Facultad de Bellas Artes, UCM, Madrid); the video art festival El país de los tuertos (Círculo de Bellas Artes, Madrid) and also at Viewbug by being selected at least 36 times winner of photography awards.

Graduated in Fine Arts (Universidad Complutense de Madrid), her start begins with the creation of a few projects that involved things such as photography, using messages featuring the artwork, etc. 

At this moment, still a member of the research group “UCM: El cuerpo en el arte contemporáneo: imagen y sujeto” since 2018, she works with the main concepts of her artwork but in a deeper way.

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ARTIST STATEMENT

When it comes to Beatriz's artwork, the main topics of her works are violence and autoethnography. Of course, it's not always the case, but it is when she does more personal stuff. Her references are based on video art and films, with artists such as Bill Viola, Alan Berlirner, Eija-Liisa Ahtila, Sadie Benning, or Jonas Mekas.

But there's also an essay that changed her mind the moment she just began to read it: Susan Sontag's "Regarding the Pain of Others", in which she hypothesizes about humans' fascination with violence in art, precisely war photography. She writes:

"[...] [T]here is shame as well as shock in looking at the close-up of a real horror. Perhaps the only people with the right to look at images of suffering of this extreme order are those who could do something to alleviate it—say, the surgeons at the military hospital where the photograph was taken—or those who could learn from it. The rest of us are voyeurs, whether or not we mean to be. In each instance, the gruesome invites us to be either spectators or cowards."

That did take Beatriz a while to understand. But she  immediately figured out what was driving her during the creation of a piece of art: the violence and the war she carried inside. And it was the one that made her create those things without even thinking about it. However, she finds that part of her studio photography is related to her personal artwork because of the looks she creates. Those were the ones she grew up with and was criticized for. But that's the real question she tries to investigate through her projects: why does society show no mercy to people who don't meet the high standards we mark?

INTERVIEW

First of all, introduce yourself to our public. Who are you, and how would you describe yourself as a person and an artist? 

I'm Beatriz Montes, also known as Ruska. I'd like to describe myself as a visual artist who tries to show their emotions through art and make people feel connected to what I do because they are mainly topics that are "taboo" in our society. As a person, I'm just someone that is really curious in general, very much introverted, but yes, someone who tries to live each day as the last one. 

What is your artistic background? And when did you first realize you wanted to be an artist?

I've always loved the Renaissance period and all that comes with it: being an artist capable of doing multiple things, not just one, looking for the beauty and the mythology. But I was also influenced by the Nouvelle Vague, Jonas Mekas, and even by contemporary filmmakers such as Tommy Wiseau with the cult of "The Room" and all that is related to seeking the perfect images, sometimes with a more complex background. 
I realized I wanted to be an artist when I was super young. I guess I was probably four years old or less when I knew I wanted to do art. Still, I didn't know how to express it, so when I grew up, at first I wanted to be a tattoo artist, then sculptor, and I finally realized that sculpting was not my thing and that I just wanted to go to college to study Fine Arts, so I did.  

In your work, you refer to video art and films. How did these influence your current work? 

I really love this question actually. When I first started Fine Arts, I was kind of lost because I couldn't find my way as an artist. I felt really bad about it because I thought I had to be good at everything and have clear what I wanted to be after the career. In my case, it was the summer of 2018, and I was bored. I was studying more about film and all that stuff, and I decided to watch James Franco's film "The Disaster Artist", based on Tommy Wiseau's film "The Room". I swear that film just clicked in my head for good. When I finished it, I sat on my couch and said: "This is what I'm meant to be in life. I've finally found it." And that's how it all started in a more professional way. 

What are the main themes behind your work? And what does your art aim to say to the viewers?

Violence, autoethnography, and the importance of mental health are probably the topics I work with the most. I like to take my own issues and experiences as a reflection of what's really happening out there, in the streets, institutions, etc. 
I always want to reach the viewers by treating common and taboo topics to make them think, even most of the time, to make them uncomfortable with a truth that they don't want to see or can't. But what I want the most is that they feel understood by my artwork, to make them feel less alone in this world now we live in, and that is just about isolation. 

How do you create your works? What is your creative process like?  

I don't really have an exact creative process. What I do have is a schedule or a time frame to create, but it can vary depending on how inspired I am, how I feel, or even how much work I have. Sometimes everything just comes from a breakdown, a hard moment, or even just by getting inspired in the middle of the night by something I've seen or dreamed of. 
About how I create? Well, I try to take a picture in my mind of what I want and also what I can do because that's really important. Sometimes I don't even need a budget because I use common things I have at home (which happens most of the time, and it's cool because you learn how to work with the things you just have, nothing else). 
When I have a clear image of what I want, I often do a mood board with the color palette, masterpieces that inspired me and follow the theme I want, and also characters from films.

An interesting concept we can derive from your statement is that of "autoethnography." Can you tell us more about it? 

Autoethnography is basically the topic I use in every single artwork I do. It's about using your own experience as a base to work with later. A few artists such as Jonas Mekas, Susan Sontag, Bill Viola, or Alan Berlirner use this concept in their artworks. 
I also remember the exact first time I heard about this. I was fascinated, and I felt like I found the theory base and structure to help me create better things. Before that, it was really hard to make something because the harder I tried to explain, the more trouble I had because I did not have knowledge about it. 

In your work, you use different mediums, and you also work with digital art. What do you think of NFTs? Do you think they are just a trend, or are they here to stay?

I'm not a huge fan of NFT's. At the very beginning, when it all started, there wasn't so much information about what they are, and I think they tried to make us believe they were "the new art" when it's only a temporary thing that contributes to climate change. And art should not be part of that thing. Maybe I am a bit traditional when it comes to that. But we, as artists, have the power to speak through images or whatever we are doing and fight against what's not fair. We actually have a weapon in our hands that can be used for the benefit of everyone. So yes, I think NFTs are just a really dangerous trend that shouldn't have been created. 

Over the past 12 months, we have witnessed a growing number of online exhibitions and live events. What do you think of the recent changes in the art world? Do you miss the art world as it was before the pandemic, or do you see more opportunity now?

I actually graduated in the middle of the pandemic, so everything was such chaos. I had planned what I wanted to do next after graduation, and due to the pandemic, it was impossible. I'm going to be honest: there weren't so many opportunities for emerging artists before all of this. It was really hard to get a minimal chance to grow. But the good side (if there's any in this hard time we are living in) is that now the Institutions want more art, they want to promote culture again, and that's when we come, the emerging artists. 
It's not that I miss the old art world, but I find that I am a very lucky person when it comes to this world right now. There's a lot of chances and what I've found is that people really value your work. It's not as rude as before (for example when they decline your submission).

How did you keep your followers and collectors engaged over the last year? Did you take part in any online exhibition or event? 

Yes, I've been, and I am part of online exhibitions and events at places such as Rome, Athens, Sweden, etc. 
About the first question, I've tried to do it by publishing almost every day new content or archive material I have, which is actually difficult sometimes because of new announcements, new exhibitions, projects, etc. It's not always easy to follow the rhythm people want. They are used to seeing influencers and all that stuff, so they think it is so easy to publish something new, better, and fresh every day. It's not possible. Art requires time, patience, love. And as creators, we are people with issues too. We have our personal lives, our stuff, and (at least in my case) it's a lack because they don't really value what you do. To them, it's just another photo, another thing, just that. 

And lastly, what are you working on right now? Anything exciting you would like to tell our readers? 

I'm mainly working on video art and photography at the moment. Curiously, I've just finished an analog photography project that I'm really excited about because it's what I really love, and I find self-portraits really cool. But yes, I want to tell the readers of this that sometimes it takes time to get where you want to be, but the best part is to enjoy the process and your path. It's not always easy, but don't leave behind any opportunity you can take. So, stay safe, stay hydrated and enjoy every single second because it's worth it.