Pictures from a Revolution: The 1979 Iranian Uprising

Between Word and Image: Modern Iranian Visual Culture, Grey Art Gallery, New York, September 18-December 7, 2002; Abbas, Iran Diary 1971-2002, Autrement Press, 2002.

Atripartite exhibit of fine arts, photography, and revolutionary posters, Between Word and Image: Modern Iranian Visual Culture, unfolds to define the concept of a revolution as a 180-degree turn. More specifically, the exhibit brings together images and words to crystallize and define The Islamic Republic of Iran's Revolution. The first part of the exhibit places the accent on the modern fine arts of Iran. While this is all pre-revolution artwork, it represents a revolutionary step from traditional miniature painting and the classical style of the Iranian master painter Kamal-al-Molk. The exhibit presents the painting and sculptures of graduates of the newly established Fine Arts Academy, Tehran University, and independent painters, including: Hossein Zenderoudi (1937-), Faramarz Pilaram (1938-83), Mansoor Ghandriz (1935-65), Parviz Tanavoli (1937-), Sohrab Sepehri (1928-80), Behjat Sadr (1924-), Monir Shahroudy Farmanfarmaian, Siah Armajani (1939-), Marcos Grigorian (1925-), and Esmail Tavakoli (also known as Masht Esmail, 1923-94).

While the country suffered various social and political illnesses during the pre-1979 era, the fine arts experienced the reverse: they flourished under the Shah and Queen Farah Diba's auspices. The artists were able to express themselves non-critically of the regime, but with open doors to religion, spirituality, and apolitical subjects; if they did not criticize the Shah or his regime, they were free to create as they wished. The body of work presented is diverse, yet linked by several outstanding features and themes, in particular the use of words as images and an abstract expression of Islam, particularly mysticism.

The usage of words to create images can be seen most notably in the works of Hossein Zenderoudi and Siah Armajani. In his TheSun and the Lion (1960) Zenderoudi uses four colors, calligraphy, and numerology to recreate a sun and a lion. This used to be the coat of arms of Iran during the Shah's reign; it could be seen everywhere, from school books to the flag. However, for Zenderoudi these elements had spiritual references, rooted in Sufism, as well. [Fig. 1] A more informal, and perhaps even mystical, usage of calligraphy can be seen in his Four Directions of an Artist (1964), in which Zenderoudi once again uses only calligraphy of both words and letters of the alphabet to create an abstract black-and-white shape. [Fig. 2] Similarly, in Armajani's Prayer for the Sun (1962), the surface of the canvas shows two spheres. [Fig. 3] Looking closely, one finds that calligraphy is etched, hardly visible to the eyes, in the two spheres. In viewing these works, we are left with many questions: What do the shapes represent? In Zenderoudi's work, we note that the alphabet extends from the center to the edges—why? Can the calligraphy be decoded, or is it intentionally a secret? Why is it so subtle, almost invisible? In fact, very few people are able to decode the text. Both artists used calligraphy not only to create shape and forms, but also as a prayer, at once visible and invisible to the viewers' eyes. ¹

Yet, some of the pieces containing images from words do contain more recognizable points of reference. Zenderoudi's The Hand (1960-61) can be seen as representing the three Abrahamic faiths, all of which exist in Iran: the hand belongs to the Shi'ite Moslem tradition, the star of David to the Judaic tradition, and the baptismal bowl to the Christian tradition. The sculpture not only demonstrates the three faiths, but, in linking them with one another, suggests the dynamic of inter-faith dialogue and exchange. [Fig. 4]

Although a substantial emphasis in the first part of the exhibit is placed upon paintings with words gaining shapes and meaning of their own—religious or...