Outlook's latest issue, "Ideology is for the library," features Dia Mehhta Bhupal's replica of a library on the cover.
Bhupal's work centers around the intrigue of public spaces, particularly in today's hyper-real world, where individuals constantly navigate diverse environments and experiences. She posits that mundane experiences are formative, contributing to the development of one's character and personality.
We speak with the artist herself to understand the process and inspiration behind building life-size spaces using recycled paper and cardboard, which she then photographs.
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#Ideology #Library #OutlookMagazine #Artist #Artwork
Bhupal's work centers around the intrigue of public spaces, particularly in today's hyper-real world, where individuals constantly navigate diverse environments and experiences. She posits that mundane experiences are formative, contributing to the development of one's character and personality.
We speak with the artist herself to understand the process and inspiration behind building life-size spaces using recycled paper and cardboard, which she then photographs.
Follow us:
Website: https://www.outlookindia.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Outlookindia
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/outlookindia/
X: https://twitter.com/Outlookindia
Whatsapp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaNrF3v0AgWLA6OnJH0R
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@OutlookMagazine
Dailymotion: https://www.dailymotion.com/outlookindia
#Ideology #Library #OutlookMagazine #Artist #Artwork
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NewsTranscript
00:00I'm Diya Mehta Bhoopal and I'm an artist. I essentially work with something called the
00:10constructed image, where I build life-size spaces with recycled paper and cardboard,
00:18and I then photograph them.
00:20So we'll just have a quick conversation about what went behind into the process of creating
00:26this artwork that has featured on our cover for the current issue.
00:31So Diya, in this digital age where very few people are going to the library, you know,
00:38actually reading books, like everything is available on our phones right now,
00:43you created this artwork, this, like, with papers and cardboard you used,
00:50and created this replica of a library, and it's also an empty library.
00:54So, like, what went behind into creating this piece?
00:59And, like, what was, like, if you could elaborate a little bit about the process?
01:04Sure. Essentially, what I do is I primarily use printed matter, which is old magazines,
01:10and I segregate different colorways, and I use these finely spun tubes,
01:15and then I start building the space.
01:18Public spaces, for me, are very intriguing, especially in the world today, which is hyper
01:28real, and which is also, we are constantly inhabiting different spaces through the day
01:34and through our lives. Personally, as an artist, I believe that it is the mundane experiences
01:40day after day that build our character and develop our personality.
01:44The reason I choose public spaces is primarily because I believe the body of work
01:52is a reflective process, capturing energy and transition from one experience to another.
01:59I personally believe that it is these veiled experiences that are the most profound.
02:06I've also greatly been influenced by the diversity
02:10and the duality and concord of having to exist between them.
02:16For example, the library is a space of great interest, and of immense curiosity. I have many
02:23memories of visiting various libraries and being fascinated by the touch, feel the smell of the
02:29books and actually physically reading something. More so in today's days where all our information
02:36comes from the digital space. So for me, the tactility of it is very
02:41interesting, and it's also very rewarding.
02:46The library is also a kind of space where anyone can walk into and has access to a world of
02:51information. And at the same time, an individual will take away what they take away based on their
02:57experiences and their interests. So two people can enter a library, but we can come out with a
03:04completely different experiences and a completely different depth of knowledge.
03:11So most of the subject matter in your art has been like you said, already accustomed places,
03:17places that people see, or you know, like we go to like daily, it's almost considered mundane,
03:24right? You've also done art, you know, like cinema halls or supermarkets, and then public
03:30toilets as well, right? So why do you choose these mundane spaces?
03:37So I believe it's these mundane spaces that we experience repetitively day after day, whether
03:43you're going to a public restroom, or whether you're going to a movie on the weekend. And even
03:49though we inhabit these spaces transiently, there's a sense of familiarity because we've done
03:55it so many times. I also feel public spaces almost corner you into contemplative experiences,
04:02which limit us to observe, to reflect and to experience the basic realities.
04:08Also, there's this French artist, Marshall Duchamp also used like mundane objects,
04:17and, you know, kind of made it into art. And he did that by choosing. So he got them to this
04:24pedestal of art by his act of choosing, right? And like, so what goes into the process behind
04:31choosing, like, you know, for your art? Like, how do you choose what needs to be captured? Or
04:37what attracts you to these different places as well?
04:42So as an artist, I'm interested in what we already know to be real, albeit with a particular
04:49tension, spaces that are typically brimming with body bodies, but in my images, they're left
04:55completely empty. I think I often shift as an artist between the role of architect, craftsman,
05:04designer, and of course, a photographer, because my end result is an image. It's also the layering
05:09up of personal experiences into a single frame. But it's also a layering up of different mechanisms
05:16that dialogue and converse throughout the stages of my practice.
05:21The images are deliberate and careful construction,
05:26infused with a sense of layers and a sense of text that's already printed matter that was
05:32possibly news of a few months ago, or yesterday's news that eventually get framed into making a
05:39much larger dialogue that's beyond our comprehension. As individuals, we have many
05:45experiences, but collectively, they really form our foundation.
05:50So you mentioned that, you know, like they're constructed images and going back to the library.
05:59So there are two chairs that are just left unattended, just two, you know, like there are
06:05no human beings there. So like, why, what went behind into, you know, like constructing that,
06:12like, why just two chairs? And why, like, nobody is present in library?
06:17Like, so I think it was intentional for me to have the two chairs that are not perfectly aligned to
06:24the table. Because it gives you a sense that somebody was present there, and they, you know,
06:29maybe got up or have gotten up to take a book. Or they're going to look for something, and maybe
06:35they'll come back or they've left without putting the chair back. I feel it gives you a sense of
06:41an individual being there and a sense of a presence. And the reason that the library or
06:47all my images are actually empty is because when we usually visit a public space, it's usually very
06:54crowded. You're either waiting in line to check out your book or you're waiting in line to enter
07:00a public toilet. But I experienced there is very internal, it's very personal, it's not that you're
07:05going to possibly go to a doctor's waiting room, which I have also constructed, and have a
07:11conversation with the person sitting next to you, you're more within yourself and internally having
07:16dialogues. Maybe it's a sense of nerves, maybe it's a sense of excitement, maybe it's a sense
07:22of anticipation. I think that's very personal. It's not that you're going to introduce yourself
07:28to the person next to you or have a deep conversation as to why the person's there,
07:33it's more internal, even though you're physically in a public environment, mentally or really
07:38within yourself. Wow, that's very, that's a very unique perspective, you know, very nicely put.
07:45So thank you. Also, I read that you described this element as topography of absence. And like
07:55you said, absence plays a big picture. So like, could you elaborate a little bit on the terminology
08:00like of topography of absence? Like, it's very interesting and unique and has this
08:06geographical connotation as well. So yeah. So I also feel that typically, like I said earlier,
08:13when we walk into public spaces, they're usually brimming with bodies, and they're very crowded,
08:17and they can potentially be chaotic as well. But as individuals, because we're so conditioned
08:23to transiently pass through them, we kind of navigate ourselves through them based on our
08:29personal space in the lack of on our personal space, right? If you have to get into a movie
08:35cinema, you have your ticket number, you navigate yourself to your seat, you're not very concerned
08:40with the people around you. So I feel it's also you begin to navigate the public space in a very
08:49private way. And that's primarily why they are empty, because I feel it's your personal experiences
08:57that add to the public space. As I said earlier, these spaces are all very transient. So we may
09:03have gone to multiple movie theaters or multiple libraries, but each experience is individual to
09:08that space and time. So Diya, could you elaborate a little bit about the medium of your artwork?
09:15So for the library, you have used paper and cardboard, and you also try to use sustainable
09:24materials. So how, how do you make that happen? Because these are like really large sizes, and
09:30what went into the process of, you know, using like making sustainability a message through your
09:36art as well? As an artist, I'm inspired by everything that's around me. My process involves
09:44collecting previously printed magazines, and I meticulously segregate them into color fields,
09:50and I spin different tubes, and then I build three dimensional objects with it.
09:55These are then arranged to make an image. The idea of recycling materials,
10:02they continue to be a preoccupation of my practice. And the printed matter to me is very
10:08interesting, especially in today's world, where there's a huge shift from tactility to digital.
10:16So I'm also questioning the role of paper, and I'm questioning the idea of how long we're going to be,
10:24how long this transition is going to take. I feel when I started my practice over 10 years ago,
10:29there was access to a lot more magazines, where today I'm feeling challenged, because the print
10:33media has changed a lot. And like I said earlier, a lot of people are consuming digitally.
10:38Also, um, so I just wanted to ask, like, who's like your inspiration? Like, who are the artists
10:44that have inspired your work? And do you draw inspiration from other artists? It can be
10:51contemporary or historical. So personally, I think my the soul of my work comes from my
10:58everyday experiences. And there are multiple artists who I admire, and multiple artists who
11:05I have been fortunate enough to be at their studios or go to see them in museums or even at
11:10art galleries. Some of the artists I truly admire are Marina Abramovich, Sudarshan Shetty,
11:17land artists such as Agnes Dennis or Richard Long. I love the photographers Nan Golden,
11:23Cindy Sherman, Jeff Wald. Great. Um, I think that those were all my questions for you today.
11:31Thank you so much for speaking with us. It was a really...
11:34Thank you, Rani. Thank you. I really appreciate it. And thank you for your time.