Reuben Wu

Artist Statements

I think I experiment with photographic equipment in the same way I use an instrument in the studio, ie never in a conventional way, combining processes and layering filters. I do love old cameras but the main thing is always the photograph. Being in the band also allows me to visit new places and feeds my wanderlust. (picturesmusic)

A lot of people think film imbues the photograph with more value. It doesn’t, it’s just how you choose to take a photo. I do think that film photography has become a discipline or a ritual for me though, which includes manual operation of old equipment. I like the contrast between the crudeness of some of the kit I use and the resulting photograph. For me, personally, it gives more meaning to the photograph because I remember how complicated it was to take the photograph, but in the end I use digital techniques to process the negatives anyway. The answer is, whatever it takes to get the results you want. (impose magazine)

About the Artist

Reuben Wu’s serious photography began when he decided to document his personal experiences of touring, making the most of being a musician on the road and visiting some remarkable locations.  Since then Reuben has amassed an impressive collection of cameras, he has modified them, spliced them and pushed them to their limits, all in the name of experimentation and discovery.  This has resulted in a diverse and unusual body of work: from the crisp lines and bright lights of urban architecture at night, to the grainy warmth of vintage Polaroid prints.

Like Reuben’s camera collection, his influences are many and varied.  Whereas most photographers tend to stay with similar themes, methods and subject matter, Reuben’s repertoire is more akin to an assortment of moods and methods. Over the past few years, Reuben’s independent travels have taken him to Peru, Hawaii and Australia, amongst others, yielding very different looking prints: colorful and intimate portraits from Peru, abstract shots of the Australian night sky and some delightfully eerie landscapes from Hawaii.

Reuben is interested in shots that matter, where time and the photograph are at stake. (nest artists)

Reuben Wu’s Website

Reuben Wu’s Flickr

Reuben Wu August 2011 Interview

Ladytron Website

Thanks to -polaroid for finding this artist.