Exhibition to mark the 30th anniversary of Iran's Islamic revolution
Jinoos Taghizadeh wanted to come up with a distinctive and thought-provoking work to mark the 30th anniversary of the Islamic revolution. But rather than celebrating the event, the Iranian artist chose to illustrate the yawning gap between hopes and reality.
Taking contemporary Persian-language newspaper accounts of the overthrow of the shah and the rise to power of Ayatollah Khomeini, Taghizadeh embedded images from western works of art – the nightmare world of Hieronymous Bosch, Pieter Breugel's timeless Flemish peasants, the French revolutionary-era painter Jacques-Louis David. And on every frame she superimposed outstretched hands: open palms, fists clenched or fingers splayed wide – playing a deadly game of chance.
Rock, Paper, Scissors, exhibited at the chic Aaran gallery in Tehran, conveys the terrifying randomness of what can happen to individuals caught up in events. "I am destined to choose the paper at the risk of being cut by the scissors, the rock that I am determined to wrap if only the scissors allow," the artist explained.
So when, for example, the Kayhan newspaper reported shortly after the revolution that the Iranian press, censored under the shah, was to be free under the new regime, Taghizadeh decided to juxtapose the newsprint with David's famous picture of the murdered Marat – a martyred journalist and hero of France's revolutionary upheaval.
David's The Oath of the Horatii – emphasising undying loyalty to the state – appears under a banner headline announcing the establishment of the Islamic republic. Classical death masks interspersed with modern photographs adorn the top of another Kayan front page dominated by accounts of the torture and killing of political prisoners by the shah's Savak secret police.
Taghizadeh's techniques work on different levels: they suggest an ironic counter-narrative to official discourse; private reponses to public events; the chasm between what is promised and what actually happens; and the true meaning behind the politically correct euphemisms in which Khomeini's revolution, like others before it, excelled.
Her use of the hologram, nodding and winking from beneath the surface of the prints, means that the images change depending on where the viewer is standing, the quality of the light, and so on – suggesting subtly different ways of seeing.
Rock, Paper, Scissors provides a tantalising glimpse of life beyond slogans. "Iran is not a black and white society," said Aaran's owner, Nazila Noebashari. "This country is not just an Islamic republic. Despite the official line there is another life, there is a vibrant art scene, people still manage to convey a message despite self-censorship and state censorship. Probably, if we were totally free to say everything we wanted to say, this wouldn't have to be such a complex work."..
Read entire article at Guardian (UK)
Taking contemporary Persian-language newspaper accounts of the overthrow of the shah and the rise to power of Ayatollah Khomeini, Taghizadeh embedded images from western works of art – the nightmare world of Hieronymous Bosch, Pieter Breugel's timeless Flemish peasants, the French revolutionary-era painter Jacques-Louis David. And on every frame she superimposed outstretched hands: open palms, fists clenched or fingers splayed wide – playing a deadly game of chance.
Rock, Paper, Scissors, exhibited at the chic Aaran gallery in Tehran, conveys the terrifying randomness of what can happen to individuals caught up in events. "I am destined to choose the paper at the risk of being cut by the scissors, the rock that I am determined to wrap if only the scissors allow," the artist explained.
So when, for example, the Kayhan newspaper reported shortly after the revolution that the Iranian press, censored under the shah, was to be free under the new regime, Taghizadeh decided to juxtapose the newsprint with David's famous picture of the murdered Marat – a martyred journalist and hero of France's revolutionary upheaval.
David's The Oath of the Horatii – emphasising undying loyalty to the state – appears under a banner headline announcing the establishment of the Islamic republic. Classical death masks interspersed with modern photographs adorn the top of another Kayan front page dominated by accounts of the torture and killing of political prisoners by the shah's Savak secret police.
Taghizadeh's techniques work on different levels: they suggest an ironic counter-narrative to official discourse; private reponses to public events; the chasm between what is promised and what actually happens; and the true meaning behind the politically correct euphemisms in which Khomeini's revolution, like others before it, excelled.
Her use of the hologram, nodding and winking from beneath the surface of the prints, means that the images change depending on where the viewer is standing, the quality of the light, and so on – suggesting subtly different ways of seeing.
Rock, Paper, Scissors provides a tantalising glimpse of life beyond slogans. "Iran is not a black and white society," said Aaran's owner, Nazila Noebashari. "This country is not just an Islamic republic. Despite the official line there is another life, there is a vibrant art scene, people still manage to convey a message despite self-censorship and state censorship. Probably, if we were totally free to say everything we wanted to say, this wouldn't have to be such a complex work."..