Gholamhossein Nami
Audio of the Entire Interview
Interview Transcript
Part 01
Back in the days when I was a sixth grader at primary school
I remember I used to have this abundance of love for drawing
The thing is to this day I have still got no idea why I loved it that passionately really
The thing is to this day I have still got no idea why I loved it that passionately really
I guess maybe it has all got something genetic to it like an innate tendency or something
I guess maybe it has all got something genetic to it like an innate tendency or something
I remember those days I would go for black Conte pencils
and a particular brand of papers back then called ” The Elephant” papers.
I would draw portraits on them, people, neighbors, relatives, you name it
I would even ask for their photos and use them to draw their portraits with
Anyways, my point is that I started practicing it myself first
as the result of that childhood passion I felt for it
Naturally, the encouragement I received from my parents
and of course all those relatives and friends whose portraits I drew
all played this huge role into finally convincing me to choose painting as my career path.
I never forget the ninth grade, which is called the third grade of high school today.
I never forget it, because I drew a portrait of Dr. Mohammed Mosadegh rest in peace
who was all people’s and of course my favorite national hero and figure at the time.
I used to study at Hakim Nezami high school in Qom,
and our English teacher back then was Dr. Beheshti R.I.P,
who used to know my father very well and apparently had heard of the portrait from him
Anyways, one day he asked me right in the middle of class to bring him the portrait
I had drawn over with me the next day
so he could see it. So the next day, I rolled the portrait up and took it with me to school
When he saw it, he actually got so impressed and loved it so much
that had it framed and put it up on the wall in the school’s main communal hall
I was so delighted and proud all at the same time to
have my first official portrait put up on the high school’s main hall!
After that, we actually started throwing art exhibits at our school
asking all the enthusiastic students to present their works and participate in them.
There were some of my works presented there too of course.
I think it was more than sixty years ago now and at that time art exhibits did not even exist
especially in a city like Qom, but we managed to do it
It went on for about twenty days and we even got people coming over to pay visits.
I guess all this served as the ultimate reason for me to pick up art career in the end
I mean all of them definitely played their roles in it happening.
I was a high school senior when I heard about
Tehran University’s school of fine arts for the first time
I was a high school senior when I heard about
Tehran University’s school of fine arts for the first time
and from then on I had nothing but one goal in life
and from then on I had nothing but one goal in life
to study as much as I could to get myself accepted there at that school
which fortunately I finally did
Tehran university school of fine arts had three separate art studios back then
and each were attended by a different instructor
One was Mr.Heydarian’s, the second was Mr.Jadav Hamidi’s
and the last one was Mrs.Behjat Sadr’s R.I.P.
I was a member in Mr.Heydarian’s and his assistant Mr.Mahmoud Javadipour’s art studio
Our curriculum was based on Ecole des Beaux-Arts in Paris established
in 1319 by a French man named Godar in Iran
Well the curriculum was indeed based on Beaux in Paris
but the only technique the students were allowed to go for was Realism
and all students would not even dare venture out doing anything else!
But I definitely understand and absolutely know how invaluable it was now
I mean, being challenged by art masters like Mr.Heydarian or Mr.Javadipour
all of them even Mr.Hamidi, who all focused their attention and emphasized on drawing,
sketching and getting to know nature
I am quite sure now that without the knowledge and skills we picked up under their supervision
we would not have understood what modern art is at all
The freshman year was all about charcoal drawing
We started drawing antique sculptures first, and then moved on to drawing real body figures
Now this was actually another area which could not follow Beaux’s curriculum directly
because of the issues there were regarding the exposure of naked body
so as the result, they were always covered around the private parts
I would also like to refer to the memories I have of those four years at that school here
because there are a lot of real nice memories that I would just like to bring up, you know?
The three instructors who used to run the art studios
in our school had all had different experiences regarding art in general
Mr.Heydarian and Mr.Javadipour were sort of on the same page so to speak.
Mr.Javadipour was a graduate of our school who had continued his studies in Germany
and seen the modern world and so was aware of some of the particular elements of it
yet had this very conservative approach because of Mr.Heydarian
and as the result they were sort of on the same page
Mr.Javad Hamidi was a graduate of Andre Lhote the French cubist’s art studio in Paris
and had a real modern mind and therefore in his classes there wasn’t
the kind of emphasis on Realism as there was in Mr.Heydarian’s
He did not focus that much on the details either.
He did not focus that much on the details either.
We were always curious about his classes
and really wanted to sneak in to find out what was going on
We were always curious about his classes
and really wanted to sneak in to find out what was going on
you know, and in fact, every now and then
we would actually pay a visit to Mr.Hamidi in his classes
and he was always kind enough to us and had all these great modern talks that would actually
compensate for the strict rules there was in our own studio
Mrs.Behjat Sadr was a Modernist who had studied in Italy
and her classes and Mr.Hamidi’s were really different from ours
I can remember it was during the senior year
and there were only six months left to our graduation
I can remember it was during the senior year
and there were only six months left to our graduation
when we had a new instructor who was also a graduate of our school
when we had a new instructor who was also a graduate of our school
and had continued his studies in Italy Mr.Mohsen Vazirimoghadam.
Fortunately we had the chance of being his first group of students
and I seriously believe that these six months that Mr.Vazirimoghadam was teaching us
had the benefit of studying for ten years for us all really
He opened our minds and brought a different atmosphere and vibe with him
It was all about the present time, and very new and modern approaches to everything
He would bring art books to class and we would discuss and swap ideas about them
work a lot and would cover all the walls in our class with our drawings,
but we should always be careful Mr.Heydarian didn’t find out about that
work a lot and would cover all the walls in our class with our drawings,
but we should always be careful Mr.Heydarian didn’t find out about that
because we would all be expelled by him if he did actually
because we would all be expelled by him if he did actually
Mr.Javadipour had a much more open-minded attitude towards
it all and we were in the same boat about those things with him so to speak
but not at all with Mr.Heydarian
So we had to do it all in secret
which in fact only made it turn much more interesting as the result
doing it all in secret I mean.
In the end, I would like to say something I have always said about Mr.Vazirimoghadam
because I think what he did for Iran’s contemporary art
was to bring clarity to what Modernism is and how one should even see the world really.
I learned so much from him
and fortunately had the chance to continue working a lot with him after graduation too.
This was the very brief version of what happened during
my four years at Tehran university school of fine arts
Part 02
After I got graduated from college
my first attempts were made to work exactly like a three or four-year-old child.
I used to work with children before that for years and therefore
I knew how they felt and also about their deductions over things in nature
I knew how they felt and also about their deductions over things in nature
like fruits and trees and the sky, etc
like fruits and trees and the sky, etc
I would try to put myself in a four or five-year-old child’s shoes and try to see the world
and try to paint and use colors like them.
I was also simultaneously following up on Paul Klee’s works at the time
You know Paul Klee was a Swiss painter
and philosopher who also tried to work like children
and I think he managed to make it happen in a very strong and philosophic way
despite the fact about what he mentions in his book that he does not think
he has been able to pull it off very properly
Later on, I started trying to progress and made an effort to use the knowledge
Later on, I started trying to progress and made an effort to use the knowledge
I had gathered from my studying time
at college and try to put it all into practice in terms of composition
I had gathered from my studying time
at college and try to put it all into practice in terms of composition
color, forms, filled and blank spaces, rhythm, motion and also texture
I also made another effort to alter them as well
Here was the beginning of my tampering with the initial child-like approach
I mean I began to be more me
or on second thought I think I little by little started to hone my own craft
and harness my own particular kind of signature so to speak by practicing more
and harness my own particular kind of signature so to speak by practicing more
It was then that the white color got to become dominant in my works
It was then that the white color got to become dominant in my works
I mean, I had to make this decision to go for it
as the dominant color surface of my works as much as possible
and I had no other tool for it but white paint
so I remember I began to bring this change even to my already finished
and signed-up pieces as wel
and started putting more
and more white paint over on top until colors started fading away
and there were just some bits
and pieces left to remain like a set of stains all across the canvas
Burgez gallery had set up a contest on mother’s day back then
and all the enthusiastic artists had been invited to provide the event with their works
and compete over winning the first prize
This opportunity was really intriguing for a young artist
like me who had just entered the society
So, I decided to send one of my initial “childhood-inspired”
works over to the competition
but in the end the thought of that experience was not very compelling
and I finally changed my mind
yet at the same time it made me feel much more motivated to do something about it
I remember one day I was in my work room thinking of what to
finally send over to the competition
I remember one day I was in my work room thinking of what to
finally send over to the competition
and suddenly my wife called me over to the phone
There was someone on it wanting to speak to me
and suddenly my wife called me over to the phone
There was someone on it wanting to speak to me
so I remember I left this wet canvas I was working on leaning right
on the corner of my work desk to go answer the phone
When I came back
I saw that the light from the ceiling was flashing on it and also
because I had left it leaning there
the sharp corner of my desk was protruding out from the other side of the canvas
and had caused for this three dimensional abstract form
with the flashing light from the ceiling on
which I was immediately mesmerized by
and quickly came up with the idea to actually try
and implement this on the mother day’s work I was going to present
I had prepared two different sketches by then
One was based on my initial years of working
and the other a real simple piece which I had decided to only cover in grey color
What happened gave me the idea to try and give my grey piece a three-dimensional
protruding shape inspired by the work desk incident
The best shapes I needed for it were circles
One for the mother’s head, and another for the child’s
So I figured I would fix these two circles on the back of it
to make the canvas come out from the other side
causing for it to get a three-dimensional shape
I immediately started thinking of the kitchen and a pair of our plastic plates
one bigger than the other
I then put the bigger plate behind the mother’s head
and the smaller one behind the baby’s
and then flashed light on it
The excitement I received from that first glance
I took at it was so overwhelming for me that believe it
or not is still with me to this day after fifty years
Even now, every time I start working on one of my new, white, three-dimensional pieces
believe me when I tell you that the level of excitement
would still be exactly the same amount as the first time
I can even say that I have totally become obsessed with this idea
and can’t possibly think of letting it go!
In the end my mother’s day work actually won the first prize in the contest
In fact with all the encouragement I received following up on that success
In fact with all the encouragement I received following up on that success
I was totally convinced to keep it up
I was totally convinced to keep it up
I was totally convinced to keep it up
and my first exhibition was actually solely based on my white three-dimensional works.
and my first exhibition was actually solely based on my white three-dimensional works.
Part 03
There is an early period in my career called the gravestones
It happened during my visits to some cities in Iran
like Dizful and Andimeshk in the southern parts of the country
We visited the graveyards in those cities
and each one of them had the power to make us fall completely in love
with the level of mesmerizing attraction they all had to offer
The type of beauty brought on by as a result of some special sort of simplicity
which is a part of their overall character
not necessarily holding a certain shape or a particular form
There are also different carvings on the surface of them, like mountains, name of the deceased
and on top of the writings there are spaces left for chiseling signs on to indicate
the role the departed had in town before they passed
For instance, say the deceased was a local hero, then you could see carved up
traditional Zoorkhaneh (Old-school Iranian war training pit.)
working out tools chiseled out all across on that area
working out tools chiseled out all across on that area
Or the person might have been for example a tailor
so you could see for instance in this case carved up scissors there
Or the person might have been for example a tailor
so you could see for instance in this case carved up scissors there
I must confess I made direct copies out of them
and then started working on those copies with pastel
I would study and sterilize them, and the prize I won in the fifth biannual
which was a scholarship to continue my studies in Italy
was actually based on one of my works on one of those copies I just mentioned
I got some abstract works as well based on roots of trees only
And you can see the roots spreading all across the canvas on these pieces
and in some places the they manifest as trees
I also did a lot of sketching with pen and charcoal
During the eight years of war I was in Iran, and in fact I am very happy to have been here
I am happy I stayed and did not leave because my presence here
during that time led to the creation of some of my works I am really proud of today
During those eight years I did not even do a single piece of serious painting
I just did a lot of sketching
I would paint only in my mind
Until the year 1987 when there was still a year left for the war to finish
and metaphorically speaking it seemed as if I had been stuck till then like an arrow in a bow
and then I was suddenly released so to speak
It was like a huge supply of inspiration that suddenly wanted to emerge!
And as the result, I started doing a series of works right in a row one after the other
I really must tell you now that for a person like me
who would usually spend a long time on a single piece of work
with the kind of tendency to keep revisiting his piece over
and over again trying to get the best out of it
with the kind of tendency to keep revisiting his piece over
and over again trying to get the best out of it
thinking seriously about how it should be, even try to come up with a procedure
before starting something up, with a lot of discipline
thinking seriously about how it should be, even try to come up with a procedure
before starting something up, with a lot of discipline
really meticulous, with having a background idea already locked
and loaded before getting started
For the kind of person I just described
the series of works I made starting a year before the end of war
was exactly poles apart different from my usual way of approach
Because, as I mentioned earlier
they just started pouring out! I mean with no background plan or discipline
or a certain set of procedure or a way of approach
they were just nonstop! Literally ceaseless!
I can refer to bakers working together in a traditional Iranian Taftoon
(name of a traditional Iranian bread.) bakery as a relevant example
The way each one of them takes care of a single step dividing it up between them
and in less than a minute your bread is ready to go!
I would work exactly with the same pace!
And then in 1988 Karteh Gallery on Vozara street was the first gallery
opening up after the war all based on my works
going by the title “death”
After that, I put up two more exhibitions which were both still influenced by social issues
I mean I can say the only two stages in my career which
one could find my focus zoomed on social
and political issues are these two
happening between the years 1989 and 1990
They were both held in Golestan Gallery
If experts were to comment on these
I’m sure they would find out about the fact that figures can still be seen in them
but they are gradually fading into abstract concepts
I used different textures and gained some new experiences in collages
I must say that the collection of works I made altogether for “death”
and the other two following exhibitions have been without
a doubt among my most invaluable art life experiences
One day some of my friends and I decided to take a trip to Kashan (a city in Iran)
to pay a visit to Sohrab Sepehri’s (a famous poet and painter in Iran) tomb
which to this day, It is still a memorable journey for me!
Anyways, after visiting the tomb,
we decided to also pay another visit to Abyaneh (a town near Kashan)
Well, I had visited this town years before,
but this time the town looked very different to me
because this time I was visiting it after all those projects and experiences
and this time I was really amazed by the beauty of it
I was so profoundly influenced by that visit, that one of my dear friends Mr.Kalantari
rest in peace had told something to others about me and I quote
” We seem to have lost him somewhere along
the road in the wonders this beautiful old town has to offer!”
and I was truly lost in my amazement there
cause for instance I would suddenly fall head over heels in love with, I don’t know
a small village house door or a window for example
with its own unique type of local architecture
or the kind of view it provided over the roof tops
with the color the soil has there
all had created this fascinating atmosphere to experience
I actually brought some of that soil with me back to Tehran
and this time decided to use it as my base material in some new projects
I had made the color of soil and used it a lot for variety of the subjects I had worked on
From the white three-dimensional ones to the abstract pieces
but had never used the actual soil itself as my main substance before that
After those two exhibitions I mentioned earlier both held in Golestan Gallery
in the year 1994, if memory serves
I made a comeback to the same gallery
and this time I presented some of my new works based on clay
which were directly influenced by Iran’s desert architecture and especially Abyaneh’s
The works were all abstract and had taken no certain forms
or copies out of the actual architectural style to them
but there were signs and iconic symbols indicating Iranian desert architecture in them all
I would like to focus my attention now on calligraphy
and two of its most important elements
which are rhythm and motion
and the fact that these are the main reasons why our calligraphy can inspire painting
This can’t have anything to do with literature
because from the moment what one paints can be read and has a meaning to it
that would then be considered calligraphy and not painting
And since it was a significant subject to work on
I finally decided to give it a try myself
In fact my starting to work on calligraphy-painting coincided with the time
I was also working on my mother’s day contest piece
I named what I did abstract calligraphy
because it is all based on nothing but the rhythm and motion
In this style, the first glance the audience takes from
the distance puts the idea of calligraphy in their mind
but getting close enough to them reveal the fact that none of them really are
My most recent performance was in Toronto last year in May
where I presented my latest versions of white three-dimensional pieces
And I think I like these last pieces much more than the rest of what I have made
in general regarding my passion for making three-dimensional spaces
except for a few of my old works the new series is my most favorite
Because the new ones refer to the general state of how I feel now
and my present experiences, and also the views
I have over matters in general nowadays
especially over the issue of immigration, which can be clearly seen on them
Part 04
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When I was two or three years old I had an aunt who was seven to eight years older than I was
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I can remember one day she was holding me in her arms
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standing on our terrace with seven to eight stairs down to the yard of my parents’ old house
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And we used to have a cleaning lady coming over and clean the house for us
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I can remember in the yard that day there was also a big boiling samovar for tea
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and the cleaning lady was washing the clothes when suddenly my aunt lost balance
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and we both fell down rolling down those stairs
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I ended up right under that boiling samovar’s tap and the hot water burned a part of my face
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The first and only thing I always remember from that day is my head wrapped up in bandages
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I actually got a piece of my three-dimensional works showing up just
a head wrapped up in bandages inspired by that day’s memory
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Many of my works have been inspired by events
and memories throughout my life
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and in a lot of others one could also see
my passionate love for local Iranian architecture and the desert
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It all actually goes back to the time I used to run around in the mud and dirt
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wandering in places like Imamzdehs
(tombs believed by religious people in Iran belonging to an Imam’s descendant.)
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And I would fill up one sketchbook after the next of all those walls and shrines there
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and the remains of old historic buildings
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Then suddenly in another stage in my career clay mud shows up
and gets to become the main basic material I start using
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In fact, the use of clay went on progressing up to a level that
I would sometimes even spread and cover the whole canvas in it
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I am certainly confident it was all because of the love I have always had for clay
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and of course the desert
with all those tile works and inscriptions
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Or in Qom during Moharam time
those colorful religious banners I saw when I was a kid
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they have all been visually recorded here in my mind and finally one day start coming out
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either in their original, or altered forms
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If we hypothetically speaking refer to an artist’s mind as a “storage room”
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during their creation time, then this particular “storage room”
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so to speak, is filled with mind-related elements like the artist’s unconscious
their childhood memories
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so to speak, is filled with mind-related elements like the artist’s unconscious
their childhood memories
even prior to that their prenatal stage and also the moment of birth memories
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even prior to that their prenatal stage and also the moment of birth memories
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in fact, art creation is related to how all these elements come together
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and finally manifest themselves in one particular artwork
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to which I think childhood memories play the biggest role.
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In a lot of cases I would just start working on a piece without having
any initial assumption or a particular idea for that matter
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This especially happens every time I would be working with clay
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I would have no idea regarding what its basic structure would be like
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and would just dip the painting spatula in the mud
and put on my first strike right on the canvas
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The first strike then guides me towards the second
and the second towards the next, until the end
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It is in a way like the path itself starts giving the directions
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In fact, I get the biggest amount of fulfillment in art from these projects
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in which I would just start working on a piece without
any preparations or pre-assumptions beforehand whatsoever
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Little by little the work itself starts developing,
one line or paint stain next to the other, it goes on
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and here is also where all my artistic knowledge
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and overall understanding of art in general
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and all my academic background start coming really handy for me
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Here is where I actually start controlling and as the result creating
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In a lot of other cases I would basically have the initial idea
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or even a primitive sketch as to how things should start from the get go
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or even a primitive sketch as to how things should start from the get go
I would even determine what certain materials I am going to be using
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I would even determine what certain materials I am going to be using
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Here is when I start coming up with the actual initial sketch
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but as I proceed, it starts changing, because my mind is constantly going through a change
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and here is where all my past memories and all the other factors
I mentioned earlier would start to unconsciously meddle
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and come to play so to speak, and in the end
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I usually witness for the final result to be totally different from its starting point
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These are in fact actually the real joyful moments for an artist like me to have the chance
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to start appreciating the path it all takes from where it all gets started,
to the final point where it all ends up
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I always start a new project with a lot of interest and optimism
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and never think of it to go wrong, or have the fear of messing it up
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but throughout the process itself, there are places for each
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but throughout the process itself, there are places for each
and every artist working on a piece where they would start feeling like
“all right, this isn’t going anywhere!”
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and every artist working on a piece where they would start feeling like
“all right, this isn’t going anywhere!”
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The whole project seems to have come to a state of halt
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sort of like a dead end
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Well, unfortunately this time I would have to say that it is a bad moment for any artist
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And in fact, It is at times like this, when I would put aside my tools
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And in fact, It is at times like this, when I would put aside my tools
and actually stay away from that particular piece for a while and go do something else
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and actually stay away from that particular piece for a while and go do something else
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like I would listen to music or read something, etc
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What is so special about this break you take is the fact that your mind
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What is so special about this break you take is the fact that your mind
would actually be developing itself by going through processing
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would actually be developing itself by going through processing
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would actually be developing itself by going through processing
some new DATA it receives through the five senses
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some new DATA it receives through the five senses
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New things you see, read, or listen to,
or hear, would all come into play in order for the mind to develop itself
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and truly every time I have done this, it has almost always worked like a charm for me!
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You come back after a while and you will know what to do next
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I even ask my students to do it, like I would ask them to go and get some fresh air
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or catch up with their friends, or get some refreshments like a cup of tea or something
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and ask them to take a break from it for a while,
tell them by the time you come back
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you will know what the problem is and what a good solution for it would be
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I always ask my students to sign off a work as soon as
they reached a certain level of relief
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and appreciation or by the time they felt like they are not going to work on them anymore
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Because those particular works’ artistic value actually lies only upon
the level of satisfaction their artists get from them
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And this feeling of consent by itself relies on several factors to begin with
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Take two separate individuals, one with no knowledge or
experience in the field of art or painting at all in general
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and the other one a real sophisticated artist
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It will surely take a lot more time
and effort for the sophisticated one to reach this level of certainty
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because for them the work should be thoroughly examined
and revised and revisited over and over again
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until that particular state of peace of mind is achieved
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and once again I got to say that achieving such a state depends on nothing
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but the artist’s overall level of knowledge regarding art in general
Part 05
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As far as I remember I started up my career by making modern and minimalistic pieces
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and my efforts have always been made towards avoiding expressions of tradition
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Because I believe that tradition as I have mentioned before runs in the depths
and does not exist on the surface
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00:00:53,680 –> 00:01:04,560
So, whoever plans to dabble in this area,
I mean brushing traditions up and giving them a fresh
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00:01:04,560 –> 00:01:10,040
and up to date kind of a looks ought to be a real qualified and knowledgeable scholar
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00:01:10,360 –> 00:01:18,320
a real expert who knows a lot about art language in the past and today
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so as to be able to look at traditions this way and make new phenomenon out of them
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I do not claim that I have been able to do this
but have made my efforts towards this direction
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In my works, even among my three-dimensional pieces which are modern and abstract
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yet still one could clearly trace back the motivation behind creating them to be nothing
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but the reflections of my own views and thoughts towards Iranian culture and history
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and especially towards Iranian ethnic architecture which I have always followed
and loved passionately all my life
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My series of works with clay after the revolution are good examples of this burning
passion of mine for the desert and its architecture
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Speaking of using clay as basic material
every time I cover the surface of a canvas in it
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and know the kinds of cracks and control different types of them and their places
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and shapes on the surface and finally flash light on it in the end
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and take a look at the dessert-inspired texture I’ve made from distance
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I would tell myself that you know what,
it is true that I am not into movements like Saghaa Khaaneh
(they used to be put up on the corners of doorways
and alley ways in towns for saying prayers and traditionally lighting up candles afterwards.)
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and I am not for the use of Islam as a part of what makes my Iranian identity
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but this soil and this dessert, this clay and its architecture have always been with me
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running in my veins since childhood
and the fact that how it is manifesting itself in my works today
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The cracks on the surface of the desert actually uphold a deep humanitarian
and philosophical meaning for me
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In fact I have always brought it up in my interviews that these cracks represent
the thirst of my nation throughout the history of our country
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This for me is definitely something of iconic and symbolic value
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I have even given it a literally angle and say
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I can even hear the voice of my nation’s thirst from within these cracks
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I really can! Well, therefore, I believe this is definitely nothing but my identity as an Iranian
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In both of his reviews over my white three-dimensional works
Dr. Mohammed Amin Mirfendereski
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rest in peace refers to them all “spacialism” rooted from the term space
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The reason why he went for such a term was
because of the fact that they are all about creating space
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He also mentions that I have even been able to
give it the presence of the fourth dimension or time
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Because if we put a spinning source of light and let it start orbiting around these pieces
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over time the source of light would be flashing on them from different angles round the circle
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and therefore creates new looks as it keeps going round and round
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Reflections from objects or people standing in front of those works also tampers with the looks
and changes the nature of the pieces
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for instance if for example a lady wearing a red dress stands in front of one of these pieces
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the reflections from her on the work’s surface would definitely bring
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some new changes to the overall combination through time
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and also in the eyes of the audience looking at it
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In fact, this is the philosophy I hold for my works, which is based on light
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because in the dark my works have nothing to present
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there must be light, shining over on them to give them life so to speak
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and also the meaning I plan to achieve for them
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and also the meaning I plan to achieve for them
This meaning I just brought up reminds me of a saying in Farsi that says
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This meaning I just brought up reminds me of a saying in Farsi that says
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“Whoever has chosen me as their friend in life,
done it based on the particular impression they got from me
Part 06
There’s something in common among all artists, and in my case painters
and it is the fact that they would all naturally like for their works to be seen
In another word they would like to communicate with their audience
Here we can metaphorically picture a triangle regarding the artist-audience communication
which consists of the artist, their artworks, and their audience
Now if we try analyzing this triangle,
we would see that a genuine artist does their share of the deal by
working on their pieces and then exhibiting them in galleries
we would see that a genuine artist does their share of the deal by
working on their pieces and then exhibiting them in galleries
with no intention of having their focus on the amount of sale they would be making
or the number of audience to increase
with no intention of having their focus on the amount of sale they would be making
or the number of audience to increase
They just present what they have been passionately working on and it is like by doing so
they are actually bringing up the topics they would like to discuss about
and these topics must be heard and responded by no one else but their audience
otherwise this triangle would not be really functional
Now let’s talk about the time when an artwork is being exhibited in a gallery, shall we?
Well, the fact of the matter is that there are actually
two different scenarios possible for such a case
Either the audience knows about the language of painting and art in general today
and of course, the art language with which this particular artist is communicating, or they don’t
If they do, then everything would be falling into the right place
Because both the artist and their audience would have played their parts properly
Because both the artist and their audience would have played their parts properly
The artist has presented the society with their work
The artist has presented the society with their work
and the audience has felt and received and understood the topic they are bringing up
and the audience has felt and received and understood the topic they are bringing up
Of course it could be in the form of their approval or the other way round, it does not matter
Of course it could be in the form of their approval or the other way round, it does not matter
The point is, in both cases the audience would be leaving the event providing the society
and art in general with the right kind of feedbacks
Now what happens if they don’t?
his is actually the major issue our country has been faced
with for the last ninety three years of painting history in Iran
Unfortunately this implies the fact that the audience here in our country
neither knows anything about art language in general
nor the one spoken today
Artists speak their own particular languages through their works
For instance, my works are the language I speak in
one should know about this language first in order to be able to establish a contact
Only then they would be able to start extracting the contents of an artist’s mind
from within all those lines and colors and forms they put on display
Throughout history, artists have never had this duty to stand
right beside their works and explain about them
Throughout history, artists have never had this duty to stand
right beside their works and explain about them
Actually as I mentioned earlier by the time they finish and start exhibiting their works
Actually as I mentioned earlier by the time they finish and start exhibiting their works
Actually as I mentioned earlier by the time they finish and start exhibiting their works
all the explanation is already there
all the explanation is already there
all the explanation is already there
and that is in fact the reason why they are being
exposed to the audience in the first place, cause they are ready
and that is in fact the reason why they are being
exposed to the audience in the first place, cause they are ready
and that is in fact the reason why they are being
exposed to the audience in the first place, cause they are ready
Some artists might not even show up during the first night of their exhibition,
Some artists might not even show up during the first night of their exhibition,
some even not at all, and their reasoning is that they believe
their parts have already been taken care of
and if the audience was into communicating,
they would simply come over to visit the event.
Now providing the audience with the right kind of information
and language is what the government is expected to be in charge of
and also the art centers and the media
and the press are all in charge for this goal to be achieved
Also college lecturers throughout the country are all expected to cooperate towards this
and teach people these languages
Unfortunately if not, both the artist and their audience would feel disappointed
by the time they would be leaving the event
There is no doubt about that
part 07
We can refer to a metaphorical triangle to explain the process of creation in art
in which the artist’s perception of their world around would be the angle on top
Now this perception is either visual, which in the case of a painter contains most of what it is
and of course the remaining other senses which are all involved
to help receiving data from their surroundings wherever they are.
This would result in the artist’s overall understanding of their world around in general
Now all this perception eventually moves towards second angle
which I would like to refer to as the artist’s mind’s storage room so to speak
where all this data is finally analyzed and kept
I also always make the example of a chest box which is filled with a lot of stuff
things like the artist’s conscious and unconscious sides of mind
wishes and dreams, the subject of divinity, knowledge and information, etc
Let’s say the artist sees a stem of red rose, which is the artist’s perception
Then it moves on towards the second angle to get analyzed
Here there are also some other particular elements , like memories
This flower now becomes influenced by these elements
and gets combined and merged with them all
This memory-influenced stem of rose eventually moves towards
the third angle which is artistic creation
This artistic creation needs a particular set of necessities,
which consists of having the necessary knowledge of drawing
and painting in general or knowing about the basics
the necessary tools of the trade and how to work with them efficiently, techniques, etc
Ok let’s get back to our stem of rose which has already been
merged with the element of memories
It is serving as raw material for the artistic creation zone now
All this process takes place in a moment’s notice
And as soon as this procedure has completely been through
the artist would then finally feel like starting to paint their subject; our red rose
What is in fact happening here is that the artist
What is in fact happening here is that the artist
quite without knowing so, would be painting their own memories too
and not just making a copy of that rose
quite without knowing so, would be painting their own memories too
and not just making a copy of that rose
quite without knowing so, would be painting their own memories too
and not just making a copy of that rose
The presence of memory is not conscious for them,
yet plays this huge role in the whole process
The presence of memory is not conscious for them,
yet plays this huge role in the whole process
You see, this newly painted stem of rose, which is totally influenced by their memories
would finally take up a particular looks to it on the canvas
would finally take up a particular looks to it on the canvas
hich might even be poles apart different from what the real rose looked like.
hich might even be poles apart different from what the real rose looked like.
If this particular memory is a happy one
for instance memory of someone’s first love
and the first stem of rose they gave to their loved ones
then this rose would be painted so alive and cheerful, with real lively colors
On the other hand if the memory is god forbid of tragic sort
then again it would all influence the whole process towards gloominess and despair this time
Here is exactly the place where some particular audience would start asking the artist
for the reason why what they have painted does not look at all like the real subject
The reason actually lies on the fact that the audience have not been properly informed
about the whole process artistic creation goes through
This process, which I believe is fundamentally based on what artists come across
and get intrigued by, is in fact some sort of inspiration
which exclusively happens to the knowledgeable,
honest and friendly types of artists, period!
An artist who would really commit to what they see
and got the necessary skills of course to put them all under the influence
of their mental potentials and their talents to finally quite
unconsciously end up creating a work of art in the end
Artistic creation is always based on feelings and emotions and also on logic
In fact, artists are contained with these elements
and can’t break free from any of them at all
Now there are certain areas where feelings outweigh logic,
yet even in these cases
these feelings have already been learned and turned logical
in the mind of the artist some time before
In fact, they have already got some sort of logic to them
which have been embodied in sort of like an emotional exterior so to speak
These are actually referred to as the artist’s improvisations
Now if an artist is really a knowledgeable and experienced one
hese improvisations would all be about
feelings which have been totally combined with logic
and therefore are now really conscious,
and yet have got this emotional angle to them all at the same time
Part 08
I can remember during the fifties in Iran some galleries would wrongly
and not knowingly exhibit some direct copies out of some particular works
and then would present them as modern painting to society.
Well, I can remeber one day I was in Mes gallery whose owner was a good friend of mine Mr.Darya Beygi
Well, I can remeber one day I was in Mes gallery whose owner was a good friend of mine Mr.Darya Beygi
who is a good artist and also a painter
who is a good artist and also a painter
There was an exhibition there and a new-coming young artist’s works had been put on display
We had all gone there for the exhibition. There was me, Marco Gregorian
and Morteza Momayez rest in peace
and I think Mr. Arabshahi was there too along with Sirak Melkonian
We were all sitting and talking and
I remember my friend Marco was really angry with those galleries wrongly introducing “modern art”
He then actually suggested we all did something about it and made up a team
and started introducing real modern art to society in fundamentally correct levels
In the end we came to the conclusion that in fact the group should make efforts to introduce
and provide society with the latest aspects of modern art
This agreement later on led to
the arrangements of several other meetings in which we regulated a set of ground rules
In fact this group is actually the only official group in the history of Iran’s painting.
Later on we introduced our set of ground rules to the ministry of art
and culture and got the confirmation and permit to go on with our project
Our main goals were to first discover, support and protect talented young artists
and second to publish books and catalogues for their exhibitions
We also decided to establish a contact with the world of art outside of Iran in international levels
and start to exchange artists with famous galleries
in order to help create an artistic swap of opinions between our country and the rest of the world.
Generally speaking, it was all intended so as to try to
inject a new blood into Iran’s contemporary art to develop and improve it.
In fact, our first exhibition got coincided with the world’s international art exhibition
where Iranian and French artists had this joint project.
heir galleries sent over their bests, and ours also did the same
and little by little it turned into a real big project after all
Because we were taking part in it for the first time as an official and patented Iranian group
we requested to be provided with a proper place
to participate as a team of freelance painters and sculptors
which was fortunately accepted and we were given a proper amount of space there to exhibit our works in
Mr. Parviz Tanavoli also joined us there as guest artist
Our second exhibition was held in Mes gallery whose owner was Mr. Darya Beigi a member of our own team
In fact, we presented the primary sketches of our next exhibition there at his gallery.
Our third exhibition brought with it the advent of a very important
event in our country’s contemporary painting
which was the introduction of conceptual art
And the team decided to bring up the latest developments happening in it
in the western world to Iran for two reasons
First, because it was a new movement all around the world, and second
because conceptual art is based on the semantics in art so to speak
which actually focuses more on the meaning behind the work than the materiality of it
and the fact that we were faced with a very mediocre version of modern art
here back then all came together and finally made us decide to go for it
All the works exhibited there served only in order to put that purpose into practice
This exhibition was held in Takhte Jamshid gallery
whose director back then was Mr. Changiz Shahvagh rest in peace
Now this one ended up causing a heat of controversy
because it was the first conceptual art exhibition in Iran and we had all presented our works there
Well, as you know conceptual art focuses on concepts which
could be quite unknown or new to society
and people in general and some of it might even get to raise issues
That was exactly what happened to one of Marco Gregorian’s there
His work was inspired by an idiomatic expression in Farsi in order to convey a very strong concept
but because of the nature of the scene it had created the department of culture wouldn’t approve
and finally asked for it to be removed.
We also had some guests over at the event
It was actually a decision our team made to each time invite some other like-minded artists to our exhibitions
which in that particular case our invited guests comprised of:
Mr. Ehsayei, Mr. Bahman Boroujani, Mrs. Monir Farmanfarmayan, and Mr. Changiz Shahvagh.
Our fourth exhibition was held at Iran-America association named “gonjo gostare No.1”
which the English equivalent for it would be, volume and surface No.1
Now that one was definitely the peak of our team’s artistic creation, with very modern
influential yet all at the same time controversial works to offer
Fortunately our team received many, many letters from around the country and also other countries
which meant our voice had carried across the borders as far as countries like Czechoslovakia and Mexico
all really enthusiastic towards taking part in art events here as guest artists cooperating.
Our fifth exhibition was held at Saamaan gallery, called “gonjo gostare No.2″, or ” volume and surface No.2″
which was again about conceptual art, with some interesting events taking place in it
I have to mention one of them here because it is a historic one really.
The guests we invited to our events were
all unanimously picked up by the members of the team before hand
What we did was setting up for meetings right before the events had started
and each member would present the artist or artists they wanted to invite over to the upcoming event
so the team was always aware who the new invited guest artists would be
for instance I would bring up Mr. Sirus Maalek’s name and let the team make the final decision
for instance I would bring up Mr. Sirus Maalek’s name and let the team make the final decision
Anyways, for our fifth exhibition Marco Gregorian brought up
Mr. Hannibal Alkhaas’ name and suggested we had him over as our guest artist
Anyways, for our fifth exhibition Marco Gregorian brought up
Mr. Hannibal Alkhaas’ name and suggested we had him over as our guest artist
Well, Mr. Alkhaas rest in peace was a grade A artist with his own signature of highly influential works
An honorable person really, who did a lot towards the advancement of art in Iran
I myself am actually a big fan of his works
Yet another thing about his character was his sort of unpredictable sarcastic behavior
I remember the team even brought this up in a meeting,
but Marco said he would take full responsibility for it
since they both taught at the same university,
therefore were colleagues who saw each other every day
So we put Marco in charge and paid Mr. Alkhaas regular visits
to make sure whether we were really on the same page artwise
Well later on, on the opening night of the event
I found my friend Marco walking around all furious and very upset!
I asked him about the reason and he very angrily told me to go and check it out myself
so I looked out of the window and saw a pile of bricks
and cast and a shovel lying around on the ground there
Then I asked him what they were doing there,
and he said it was what Mr. Alkhaas had made getting some help from one or two of his students
which he had asked to be brought down!
It was sort of like a pedestal what he made out of those bricks and cast
and put the shovel upside down in that structure with its metal part on top having “Ouch!”
written on it in white cast!
He believed he had purposely aimed that sarcasm towards the group, and had got really furious
Anyways, the next day as he told us the rest of what had happened himself
he walks inside the faculty of fine arts and there he sees Alkhaas is laughing
he walks inside the faculty of fine arts and there he sees Alkhaas is laughing
and having this loud talk with a group of his students at the end of the hall making a lot of noise
and having this loud talk with a group of his students at the end of the hall making a lot of noise
So he walks forward, Alkhaas sees him from the end of the hall
starts waving his hands for Marco, greeting him with loud words “Hey, Marco! How you doin’ man?!”
And he says nothing, walks directly towards the man and gives him two really heavy slaps on the face!!
It took a week for them to settle their argument at the university.
We later on actually blamed our friend Marco for what he’d done too
told him he really shouldn’t have that kind of impulse
cause the exhibition was all about conceptual art
and therefore any artist would have the right to present any concept they liked
even if it was a real bad one
Besides, he had experienced censorship on one of his own installations first hand
The one which had actually been inspired by sort of like a rude idiomatic expression in Farsi
which involved a sieve set up on the canvas with something he’d made and put on top resembling human feces
which involved a sieve set up on the canvas with something he’d made and put on top resembling human feces
cause the expression in Farsi says” someone has defecated on the sieve!”
cause the expression in Farsi says” someone has defecated on the sieve!”
which implies messing things up big time!
Later he admitted he had lost his temper and really shouldn’t have let the things ended up that way
because in reality our friend Marco is a great human being with a good heart really
The main reason he had got that much upset was
The main reason he had got that much upset was
because he had taken full responsibility for everything and it had happened under his watch
because he had taken full responsibility for everything and it had happened under his watch
Another one of our group projects was at the Ball exhibition in Switzerland
which was a big international event
where our team had taken part with many other painters presenting their works
where our team had taken part with many other painters presenting their works
They all managed to grab a lot of attention there
They all managed to grab a lot of attention there
The last exhibition we took part in was Wash Art or Washington international art exhibition
where only the freelance group of sculptors and painters were supposed to have taken part in
We decided to take eight to ten more contemporary artists with us since it was a great experience to miss out on
And it was indeed a memorable and influentially exquisite event to have been a part of really!
It was especially incredible for Americans to see our artists working in such caliber
There’s another memory regarding the Wash Art exhibition which I really feel I should mention here
Morteza Momayez had a piece of work t in which he had hung down a lot of big knives in it from the ceiling
and caused for this terrifying atmosphere which
would convey this horrifying feeling to the audience that any second now
and all those blades might start falling down on them!
It was such a critical piece!
We also made it in the Wash Art exhibition where we used thick nylon ropes and hung them down the ceiling
Anyways, I remember at one point during the opening night which turned out to be a really crowded one too
we suddenly saw a very well-dressed
and tall American man approaching us and he was bleeding down from his head!
Little did we know that those huge spot lights for the event
had produced enough heat to let one of those knives loose
and dropped it right on the poor man’s head!
We immediately sent for an ambulance to take him to a hospital
but the thing I’ll never forget was the American guy’s attitude towards the whole event
cause as he was leaving he came to us and told us not worry
cause he said the concept was the important thing for him
and the fact that he had got it and it’d had its influence on him.
Since day one when we formed our team for the first time till now
the group has been severely and regularly criticized, ridiculed, even hammered at times
Some considered us a group of opportunistic people
seeking to open up new windows of opportunities for ourselves to make money doing what we did
but the truth is there was no profit in it for any of us
Only the fact that we were just clarifying on the subject of Modernism in our country.
There were also some other political issues we got ourselves into back in the days
regarding the critical nature of some of the pieces among our works
I myself for instance had presented an installation in Gonjo Gostare No.1 “Volume
and area No.1 exhibition in Iran-America association called “The footprint”
which on one side shows prison bars and behind that a story is being shown about this lady who is screaming
there is also some light flashing on that side
On the other side I had made a single foot print as the piece itself I named “the foot print.”
I also made knots, and put them on another surface of the piece
On its last surface I’d made this schematic figure of a human head in front of a metal sheet
which had been misconstrued by the Iranian secret service
and given them this notion that I had been trying to imply the king of Iran’s in it
and given them this notion that I had been trying to imply the king of Iran’s in it
It was then picked on by the Savak ,Iranian intelligence service at the time
It was then picked on by the Savak ,Iranian intelligence service at the time
They also picked on Morteza Momayez for his critical set of hung down knives from the ceiling
Anyways the point is, all this friction was little by little getting to become problematic for the team
and had naturally started to get some of the members even worried about their stay
It finally actually resulted in some of the members quitting and leaving the group permanently
Well, in fact, Mr. Morteza Momayez rest in peace who was one of the most influential members of our team
and also our spokesperson
wrote a travelogue after we came back from the Washington art exhibition
and in it he had brought up some issues regarding the team and some of its members
and in it he had brought up some issues regarding the team and some of its members
He had also picked on some other painters outside the group and had brought up their names
He had also picked on some other painters outside the group and had brought up their names
with some criticism thrown in towards them
So, little by little they all sort of got piled up so to speak and finally resulted in his quitting from the team
about which he had said later on that he’d had no idea that his decision
about quitting would result in the total disbandment of the group in the end
Yet one could tell that some other members must have also been waiting for an excuse to do so
Yet one could tell that some other members must have also been waiting for an excuse to do so
because of the concern they had started having after all those friction
because of the concern they had started having after all those friction
because of the concern they had started having after all those friction
and so they gave up one by one after Mr. Momayez did until finally in the early 1978 the team got totally disbanded
and so they gave up one by one after Mr. Momayez did until finally in the early 1978 the team got totally disbanded
The main philosophy of the group which was very influential
in our country’s art society is still with us the remaining ex-members who are left
comprising; me, Mr. Arabshaahi, Siraak Milkonian, and Mr. Daryaabeygi
with whom we have unfortunately lost touch and really all hope he is still alive and well
The rest of the members have unfortunately all passed away
but as I mentioned earlier the philosophy is still here with us to this day unchanged.
Part 09
My dear friend Mr. Tanavoli told me once about a trip he
and a friend of his Mr. Zendeh Roudi took to Shah Abdol-Azim shrine and Shahr-e-Rey in the suburbs of Tehran
He also told me he used to visit these two towns quite oftenly in the past
The reason why I am bringing this trip up now is the fact that an issue he was always faced with was the struggle
to find a way to show Iranian identity in his works, and this trip actually gave them an idea
Well, in the local market place to be exact,
where they had bumped into an old street vender selling these small
really colorful religious posters
The colors were on those posters were so beautiful
and lively that they decided to buy some of those and brought them back to Tehran with them.
After a while when he paid his friend a visit
what he found out was that Hossein Zendeh Roudi had made this strange work all based
and inspired by those posters and had it up on the wall in his house
He had scribbled some writings on the surface of the canvas in very small fonts
and put some religious features like the hand
or the decapitated head of Imam Hossein
and some other symbols
which had overall managed to get a sort of Iranian vibe to it
Parviz Tanavoli on the other hand had another vision in his mind about Iranian ethnic customs
He later on got himself out of this movement and paid a great deal of attention to Iranian literature
and validated Iranian ethnic arts
which we can see them all manifesting in his works up to this day
but Zendeh Roudi followed up on the use of written words and traditional features
and little by little those features started fading out from his latter works and he instead started to use Farsi letters
very efficiently in my opinion, to create some of his art works
After him, other artists like Mr. Ehsayie, Mr. Mafi, and Mr. Framarz Pilaram rest in peace
worked on some more calligraphy-painting pieces
and in fact from within the “Saghaa Khaaneh” movement calligraphy-painting came out
In the early 1961
a group of painters who had their focus on traditional Iranian arts
and had paid a lot of attention to Iranian colors and motifs put together an exhibition
The names of the artists participating in that project comprised of:
Masoud Arab Shahi, Zhazeh Tabatabayei, Naser Oveysi,
Parviz Tanavoli, Hossein Zendeh Roudi, and Sadegh Tabrizi
Mr. Karim Emami who had an art page in Keyhan newspaper back then
and used to publish unbiased art reviews and articles
came and paid this exhibition a visit and came to this conclusion afterwards that there were
a lot of Sagha Khaneh elements traceable in those works
Well, Sagha Khanehs as we know are small prayer spots in some corners
or doorways in some small towns
which I refer to as mini mosques, where people traditionally used to say prayers and light candles there
Anyways, what Karim Emami found out was a lot of those motifs on those works
so he named them Sagha Khaneh works,
which eventually ended up getting to become the actual name for this movement
A lot of people refer to it as a genre which I personally do not agree
because a genre has got to have its own type of description and manifest
It should also have been resulted from an agreement reached
by a group of artists looking into the same kind of artistic vision and philosophy
which would be later on starts having its own followers too
But in the case of these artists, they were not even in touch with each other that much at the time
and even when later on were asked if they saw themselves as members of this movement
none would accept that they were
It was simply just because of the fact that they all accidentally had the same kind of affiliation
and therefore had decided to put together a joint art event
So, you see that is why I would more like to refer to it as a movement, and not a genre
Most members in this group moved around on the surface with their attentions paid to ordinary motifs
but a few of them actually started digging deeper
like Mr. Zendeh Roudi, Tanavoli, and Ghand Riz
who paid a lot of attention to our Iranian ethnic and religious customs and very wisely updated those
They did not repeat them, but updated them
If “Sagha Khaneh” movement had been backboned by a firm manifest
and given a drive by taking a deep good look at all the issues involved with it
it could in my opinion have even turned itself into an international Iranian genre in painting
May be that was the reason why the government supported them a lot back then
because they wanted for the “Sagha Khaneh” movement to be introduced to the world as an Iranian genre
Unfortunately the movement itself did not have that kind of potential to it
and I think the reason was not taking a look at the depths of it in the first place.
and I think the reason was not taking a look at the depths of it in the first place.
I myself am deeply sorry that Iranian art society lost such a great opportunity
I myself am deeply sorry that Iranian art society lost such a great opportunity
to have this movement brought up as an official Iranian genre in the world.