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B
eing 18 in Tehran during the seventies, obviously afforded those
of us who were there at that time, a rather conflicted sense of sensibility. At
once we were faced with the rapidly advancing modern western way of life, while
the charm and quaint 3rd worldliness of Iran was still
prevalent.
This conflict was evident all too often, all too
visually obvious. Partly due to the active emphasis Farah Pahlavi put on driving
Iranian art towards the future, (maybe bringing a Warhol exhibit to Tehran was a
bit too much too soon?) at times even more avant even than the avant-garde. Good
or bad, right or wrong, this resulted in the awakening in Iranian artists of a
sense of design and a means by which they could express their feelings, without
the inherent risks of doing so.
That was then, this is now.
Recently Colleen a noted American designer gave
me a book for Christmas. The note read, "Hope you like this, this is really good
stuff and is getting a lot of attention here". Of course anytime we are noted by
the noted, it makes sense to see what the hell they are talking about. The "Oh
God, what have we done this time?", kicks in pretty quickly
nowadays.
The book, New Visual Culture of Modern
Iran by Reza
Abedini and Hans
Wolbers (Mark Batty Publisher 2006) is a
recent incarnation of what began in the seventies during the Pahlavi era. It is
a collection of posters, graphic design, and mixed art; a seemingly random yet
right on the real surface view into the hidden chambers of modern day Iran's
sub-conscious. I was glad to find that now, as then, the secret messages of
resistance, objection, and truth were still alive and well within the psyche of
the contemporary Iranian artist.
Not that we should have doubted that in the
least.
It is always interesting to me how it is art that
seems to be the only essence able to capture truth and preserve it of all to
see. Politicians, regimes, and even entire countries come and go, but the
art always remains to tell the story. So is this collection of what is on the
mind of Iran. The Iran of today, visible subliminally, and at times right there
in front for everyone to see.
One can see the fear of identity, of being
identified, in the numerous faceless examples and metaphors. Just the hands in
some, and the repeated symbol of empty tattered shoes in others. And the
constant oppression of women within modern Iranian society is all too apparent.
I don't know if Abedini a noted Iranian designer and Wolbers a creative director
from the Netherlands, the team who put this book together, picked these
metaphors and symbols specifically, or if this is all there is. Either way the
message is pretty clear. To me, at least.
The other theme I found prevalent was the symbolic stifling or choking of
words, often depicted in a tangled mess of calligraphy, which you could take to
represent the repression of thought, expression and speech. Or just the general
uselessness of too much talk. I found these most profound.
What you can definitely see is that it isn't an
obviously happy or optimistic period. Black and white or muted earth tones
abound in this palette. When you do see color it certainly draws attention,
almost an angry response, which again I wonder if that was the
point.
Maybe I am wrong, maybe I am reading too much into it, maybe my lens is
too tinted or tainted. Either way, it is a record nonetheless of what is on the
minds of modern day Iranian artists, reporting that the truth is once again
alive and well inside modern day Iran and recording our history like it always
has. For better or worse. It's good to see you again my friends.
Comment for the writer Behrouz
Bahmani
Other Articles by Behrouz Bahmani
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