Brothers in Arts-ManilRohit

Interview

The artist brothers Manil Gupta and Rohit Gupta are working and exhibiting collaboratively as ManilRohit since 2011. The imagery of their works is derived from popular culture/media as graffiti, comics, games, movies and animation etc. while reverberating sarcastic nuances. The implicit dark humor hints at cultural capitalism created out of the popular. Here the artist duo speaks about their work, process, plans and many other areas of their works.

ManilRohit

Nisha Aggarwal (N): (question is to Manil) Manil, you were practicing your art quite successively having two solo shows in Palette Art Gallery in 2007 and 2009 with number of group shows in India and outside. So what prompted you to launch ManilRohit?

Manil Gupta (M): Launching ManilRohit was incidental. After my 2009 solo at Palette, I was experimenting with newer visuals and techniques to induce more juice in my art. It was a strong transitional phase. I had started exploring color and a more dynamic execution (as compared to my earlier clinical Black and White striped works). Throughout our careers, Rohit and I have shared the same studio space, often bouncing creative viewpoints off each other. One such momentous evening, slightly drunk, we started painting our studio wall together.  We ended up creating some very weird, uninhibited visual narratives. That urged us to create a similar play on canvases to test our consistency. To our joy, we created some intense wild works, with all the spontaneity intact. With that kind of creative satisfaction, it was imperative for us to explore this new territory together, as ManilRohit.

The Circus is coming

N: What are the changes you are experiencing (while working, showing collaboratively, and in terms of responses from galleries etc.) as ManilRohit instead of individually?

ManilRohit (MR): It’s been a thrilling and eventful journey so far, as ManilRohit. Our process is much more spontaneous and open to new directions as compared to our earlier individual endeavors. Each output becomes compounded owing to simultaneous energy inputs from two persons trained differently. Our Public art car project, ‘The Holographic Love Machine’ sprung out of a similar instinctive suggestion.

As for gallery responses, the new language definitely has a new set of audience. Honestly, we feel our language is contemporary, dense and dynamic. Tad unlike the limited aesthetic most Indian audience is used to. They still feel narratives dripping with ‘fun’ can’t hold serious content, simultaneously. Hence, it takes time for people to absorb and get through to it.

Pigventure Capitalists

N: Manil you came from an Applied Arts background, and afterwards you were doing sculptures along with paintings as a main focus. And Rohit, you are a self-taught artist and photographer. How did you both manage to collaborate and reach to your present ‘signature style’?

MR: Right from inception, we poured in all the inspirations and influences we ever had, without judging or filtering any of it. We wanted to be totally fluid, uncalculated and undiplomatic. It wasn’t an effort reaching to our style, we kept it natural, guess that’s why it works well. You see ManilRohit is a hybrid of different styles. It’s a medley of trained and the untrained. Since we’ve grown together, also at play are our common influences from the popular media, games, movies, and music. Simply put, our MR style is an amalgamation of almost all that we have individually done in the past, and more.

N: Have ManilRohit any plans to do sculptures for now? 

MR: We are have been trying mediums and shapes other than the canvas, for a while now, and it has been a satisfying experience. So we certainly are exploring ourselves. We’re excited, that’s what matters, as long as it doesn’t become a formula, or a pattern, we are open to things exciting and challenging, be it shapes, canvases or sculptures. Yes, painting our big 3 dimensional SUV for the public art car project was a challenging yet thrilling process and it showed us a new direction. Another such recent work was a painted sculptural Teddy form for the “Make a Wish” foundation’s charity auction.

Hallelujah!! The Carnival of Lost Souls

N: ManilRohit’s present body of work imbibes Manil Gupta’s previous practice in terms of dark humor and serious issues with unique and interesting titles. But ManilRohit’s color palette has become vivid and cheery replacing the Manil’s ‘Zebra’ black and white. Is it Rohit’s part to ManilRohit? 

M: In my transitional phase after the 2009 solo show of Black and White works, I was exploring color, trying abstracts, splashing, dripping, etc. to break away from the skillfully drawn and restrained works of the past. I was inching towards a more bohemian, carefree expression albeit with a much deeper and layered narrative. And the final missing link in the puzzle was provided by the studio accident (wall painting) with Rohit. His childlike drawing, unshackled imagination and outlandish color sense added the requisite zing and completed the picture. While he was pretty overwhelmed to realize his own potential, we were excited to create more fabulous art together.

The Rigged Lottery

N: For both of you ‘ManilRohit’ are someone who are…? 

M: Destined to create magic together.

Rohit Gupta (R): Umm, I agree.

N: Do you both work for each painting? Doesn’t anyone of you hold dissidence while working together? 

MR: Yes, we both work on each painting. It’s an equal partnership you see. We have a varied skill set, but it’s a fluid process. Also because as individuals our ideologies and notions are mostly on the same tangent, hence it’s an effortless collaboration. And since the works are never planned, they evolve organically, we take accidents as new directions and whatever little spurts of dissidence as opportunities to challenge hardened psychological patterns of learning and social conditioning.

The Chronicles of Sitafal

N: Tell about ManilRohit’s process and technique of working?

MR: The approach is spontaneous. No rough sketches or references. Either one can have the initial spark and draw out the first forms. The other is free to transform the drawing as per his own vision. Most of it plays out to a particular set of music, in consonance with our moods and approached content. We use aerosol spray cans, charcoal, graphite, pastels, acrylic paints, stickers, gels, etc. We like to spend time on a work and let it build to garner a dense layered narrative over time. With each new work we try to find new challenges and avoid following formulas. It has to be an orgy of text, visuals and ideas. We keep the entire process enjoyable and make sure we feel spent by the end of it. Essentially, through our work we get to travel into the unknown.

N: For last 2-3 years you have been part of many project-based works besides working on paintings. Throw some light.

MR: We have been freely exploring different mediums, as we want it to be an ever-evolving journey. As artists, we like to feel free and unrestrained. There are even times when we have gone 6 months without creating a single work, which is an important part of our process.

We have been indulging in various public art projects as we feel strongly about it and the need of it. We are happy and blessed to be part of many charity projects, which is an extremely satisfying experience.

The Holographic Love Machine has been our most important self-initiated Public Art Car project done in May 2012.

It rose out of our desire to do something loud, to reach out emphatically to a wider, untapped audience. We knew our language had the potential to spread some love, smiles and positive energy on the Road-Rage stricken streets of Delhi. THLM received an overwhelming response from all sections of society. We followed it up with tremendous activity on the social media about the project’s development, people’s comments, reactionary images and videos – (https://www.facebook.com/TheHolographicLoveMachine).

There was a huge ripple effect of THLM in the press. Almost every news daily along with magazines across Delhi, Chandigarh, even Gulf and many news channels featured it. (However, funnily, not a single art magazine covered it. No wonder India is where it is when it comes to effective Public Art. But that’ll change soon.

Lacquer Dreams

N: In your recent showcase of works, the paintings replace differently shaped wood surfaces to the canvases. Why?

MR: It’s part of our endeavor to try out new possibilities. We feel, the canvas shape and format has its own existence and contributes uniquely to the overall expression. It adds another layer to our narrative and also adds a theatrical side to the work. It gives us an opportunity to deal with challenging unconventional space compositions. The choice of material is more of a technical and logistical issue.

N: Tell me something about your upcoming projects/plans?

MR: Currently we’re working on really really really exciting project. It’s all been under wraps, except for the directly involved people. It shall be a refreshing add-on to the ever evolving and ever mushrooming Indian Art Scene. We’re afraid that’s all for now. It’s not yet the right time to bring it out. The months of May – June look sunnier than ever.

(First Appeared online in CartanArt Magazine, Issue-V, April 2014)