What does it mean to capture a photograph?
What does it mean to share it with someone else who has never seen those places before?
How does the image get lost in meaning as it segues from one mind to another?
Do they see what we see?
Do they see more than what we see?
When time, space and the moment stand still, how does the other perceive it?
And what if the words from another added more meaning to your world?
And what if these questions were compounded by the mixture of two media?
How then does meaning-making happen?
Harking the Ship of Theseus paradox, while change is inevitable compositionally, the very different experiences and ideas result in the creation of a new identity. This confluence of thoughts and questions compelled Vivek and Ananya to bring together two forms of expression, words and images that resulted in this series called 'VoEyes'. Combining the elements of photography and the magic of poetry they created a series of 16 paintings in this collection titled 'VoEyes'. The duo believe that art can transcend rigid boundaries of form and novelty lies in mixing their experiences and capacities.
VoEyes (to be read as Voice), an abbreviation for 'Her Voice to my Eyes' (hence VoEyes) is an amalgamation of poetry and art. The artwork comprises a series of digitally modified photographs taken by the artist during his visit to the UK. Told through the lens of the photographer, Vivek was enamoured by the beauty of the surroundings he found himself in. A nature-lover, Vivek took delight in the sceneries of the English countryside and the iconic Scottish moors that form the picturesque backdrops to the words in each frame. His experience left him spell-bound and compelled him to convert the images into these breath-taking pieces of art. Not having met Ananya by then, he recounted his experiences and shared the pictures from his travels with her. And distance has never stopped ideas and creative collaborations! A chance meeting revealed their mutual love for travel and art. This project was born out of many phone conversations between the two. While he would recount his experiences in vivid detail, she would pen words to his thoughts leading them to create a canvas that would marry the two art forms. Thus was born the idea for 'VoEyes'. Through this work, the duo have attempted to create a new space for mixed media exploring newer and fresher ways for meaning-making and self-realisation. At a larger level, they also want to celebrate the glory of our own individual voices and the spaces we creatively forge in this tumultuous world, through silence and keen observation. Beauty, ultimately can be anywhere and lies in the eyes of the beholder.
The poems have been provided by Ananya Filbert, an eclectic writer still trying to find a foothold in the fast-moving world. Most of these poems are condensed versions of her longer works that can be found on her blog - Rantings of a Beautiful Mind. She currently resides in Delhi and can be contacted at ananyafilbert@gmail.com.
