International Tiger Day 2024: My purpose is to appeal to people’s emotions about the environment through my art, says Gopal Namjoshi

It was a hot, muggy day on July 26, when artist Gopal Namjoshi’s art installation, in collaboration with WWF-India, was unveiled in celebration of Global Tiger Day at New Delhi’s India Habitat Centre (IHC).

The installation is of a magnificent tiger measuring 12 feet in length, 5 feet in height, and 4 feet in width. It has been constructed from industrial mild steel junk and an iron structure. Called ‘Striking Stripes’, it was unveiled by author, photographer and wildlife conservationist Latika Nath; Ravi Singh, Secretary General and CEO of WWF-India and SP Yadav, International Big Cat Alliance head.

“Namjoshi’s “Striking Stripes” art installation embodies a dual purpose. By transforming discarded industrial materials into a powerful representation of the tiger, Namjoshi demonstrates how art can drive environmental change while celebrating the beauty and significance of endangered species. The intricate design and use of upcycled materials reflect both the artist’s skill and the potential for sustainable practices within the art world,” a statement by WWF-India said.

Namjoshi is not new to designing artworks made from recycled material that depict creatures from the natural world.

An alumnus of the School of Art (Jaipur), his work often addresses themes of environmental sustainability and conservation.

While he has also made murals and sculptures during his 25 years of practice, it is through the hundreds of metal sculptures he has created that he aims to shine a light on the environmental hazards created by junkyards.

Down To Earth caught up with Namjoshi and had a discussion with him on the use of waste in art and the responsibility of artists to spread the message of environmental and wildlife conservation.

Edited excerpts:

Q. What is the difference between the terms ‘recycling’, ‘upcycling’ and ‘downcycling’?

A. In this installation, I have used the ‘upcycling’ technique. There is no cyclical process involved. I am using material as it is. Nothing is to be processed. When you say ‘cycling’, it means there are processes involved. ‘Downcycling’ means there are several processes involved.

For instance, people making an art installation clean or heat material. They use material that is new. This incurs expenses, time and energy.

For this installation, the idea was to appeal to the audience’s emotions using junk material. As an artist, I think one should follow artistic values while working with any material.

Q. Why the choice of steel junk for this installation? Any particular reason? What is the difference between working with metal junk and working with cloth, rubber or other materials?

A. I have worked with cloth as well. When you are working with cloth, it eventually has to be installed at an art gallery or a covered area.

As for plastic, one can make temporary artworks from it. But they too have to be covered. Otherwise, they will disintegrate and cause a mess in the area where the installation has been placed.

This installation, made from metal, can be placed anywhere.

Ultimately, an artist must consider what material s/he has to work with and what is required to save it. A serious artist work with a responsibility to the environment, not just to make an impression among his/her audience

Q. Have you also made installations or murals of any other animals besides tigers?

A. A few years ago, I placed many animals — deer, peafowl, hedgehog and some small trees as well — at the IHC, thanks to Alka Pandey, art consultant there. It aroused a lot of curiosity and interest among people as they had never seen any installations made from junk before. I was quizzed a lot about the process involved in making them. Most of these animal installations were made from scrap metal.

Q. As an artist, what is your take on using art to spread the message of environmental and wildlife conservation, especially among younger generations?

A. Let me tell you a story. Members of iamgurgaon (citizen-led movement dedicated to restoring a greener future for Gurugram) created a biodiversity park there. They asked me to create an installation at the entry point of the city. They said you are free to make anything that you wish but the structure should be visible.

I took 15 days to research and found that the eagle owl (Bubo bengalensis) had recently made a comeback after eight years in the area where the biodiversity park was located. This bird is large, around four feet tall.

I created an eagle owl installation. People asked several questions — mostly about why I decided to make an installation of it. Was it because the owl was the vehicle or mount of the Goddess Lakshmi?

The idea, instead, was to make people aware that the bird had come back to the area which meant it was once again inhabitable for the species. People started searching about what an eagle owl was.

The point here is that if there was a poster displaying an eagle owl, it would not have made much of an impression. But here, people were stopping to take photographs of themselves along with the installation. In other words, it appealed to their subconscious. And that was, and is, my purpose.