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Capturing the 'unknown facets' of Paris

When someone says Paris, without blinking we think about the architectural marvel of Eiffel Tower gazing over the city, the French wine, cheese, tall skyscrapers and the whole majestic scenery. But the city of love will never be seen the same way again after a single glance at Rupin Thomas' photography on display at the Lalit Kala Academy. An economist by training, Rupin has spent the past few years travelling between Europe and India. He has captured some striking images of the ever-evolving Paris during his 4 years in the city, focusing primarily on the brilliant juxtaposition of the old and the new.

Curated by Uma Nair, the show titled 'La Vie a Paris: A study in Volition,' comprise of 50 images from a total of 6000 images captured by Rupin. When a person thinks of Eiffel Tower, they see the whole of Eiffel tower but at the beginning of the exhibition you will find an image that captures Paris from the bottom; with the people at the bottom and the skyline just above them. Contrasting the metal structure, there is a photograph of the 10th arrondissement with 'Histoire de Paris,' written in bold brown text. The exhibition is divided into four distinct segments – landscapes, still life studies, solitaire: quiet corner and street art and graffiti.

Pondering over the photographs in the solitaire segment, Uma said, "You can go and be a tourist in a city but it is only when you live in a city that you can get beneath the skin of the city. When I look at these photographs, I am reminded of the great poet William Wordsworth. His most famous poem is Daffodils and defining solitude in the last verse of his poem he says,

'For oft, when on my couch I lie
In vacant or in pensive mood,
They flash upon that inward eye
Which is the bliss of solitude;
And then my heart with pleasure fills,
And dances with the daffodils.'

When I look at the art works, I am reminded of poems. France is a land of art, poetry, writers, philosophers, thinkers; it is a land that gave shelter to many. It's an inspiration. So, the show is designed to begin on that reflective note and from the reflections, it gets into the reality of what Paris can be."

Over the years, many photographers have tried to capture Paris in their own way but Rupin has been bold enough to show the real side of the city and not just the scenic Eiffel tower and the symmetrical roads. Looking at his photographs, one can easily make out that the photographer is well aware of the city, its everyday life and its people. In one of the photos, there is a colourful chair with three of its legs in the air and it is standing right above a tombstone with one leg. On that photograph, Rupin said, " It makes an interesting study at a cemetery. It's nice to see how someone desires to be gazed upon even after they pass away and the colours they relate to and what they want to speak beyond the grave – it was the grave of Mirelle."

Through his still life photos, Rupin tried to convey more about surrealism and impressionism by capturing the inside of Notre Dame in some of his photographs.

"One of the most important things to understand about Paris is that it is very multicultural and diverse. There's a lot of immigrants that's been coming into the city, so that has a huge influence on the way the city transforms as well. One thing that you will see there is a lot of street art. So, one of the sections here focuses on the street art and the influences of African and Arabic culture, within the art and the colour of the graffiti."

Rupin's photographs are not confined by the rules of composition in photography but that does not mean that it ceases to amaze our eyes. "In my pictures you will notice that I don't pay attention to lines. I pay attention to what these might frame. It doesn't bother me that I have a line coming out from the corner of my picture, what's more important to me is capturing the entirety of the story and also being able to balance it and give it a little bit of relief." It is evident in his pictures that the photographer has succeeded in breaking free from the contemporary rules of photography as he dwells deep in the streets of Paris.
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