Document Type : Original Article
Authors
1 Master's degree in Photography, Department of Art, Nima Non-Profit University, Mazandaran, Iran.
2 Member of the scientific faculty of Nima University
Abstract
Conceptual photography is one of the movements in contemporary photography, which has faced a shortage of written resources in Iran and has received less attention. In conceptual photography, the artist seeks to convey a concept or idea through a photograph, aiming to provoke the viewer's thoughts. This research, conducted as a comparative study of the conceptual photographs of Ahmad Ali and John Hilliard, employs a descriptive-analytical method to answer the question: What are the signs and approaches in the conceptual works of Ahmad Ali and John Hilliard?
The results of this study show that conceptual photography in Iran emerged simultaneously with its development in the West, with both artists beginning their work in the same period. The selected works analyzed in this research reveal that John Hilliard, influenced by the cultural atmosphere of the 1960s, adopted a more cultural approach, whereas Ahmad Ali, shaped by the social and political conditions of the 1940s and 1950s in the Iranian calendar (1960s and 1970s in the Gregorian calendar), leaned towards a political perspective. Ahmad Ali, utilizing his artistic background in painting, transformed photography from a two-dimensional medium into a three-dimensional form, presenting a unique perspective in the production of works within his society.
Similarly, John Hilliard, drawing on his artistic background in sculpture and benefiting from his exposure to artistic programs at public universities, developed a creative and innovative approach to producing distinctive works. He employed symbols to integrate icons and images, aiming to present concepts to the audience in a unique form. This research represents a small step toward the development of conceptual photography in Iran.
In Ahmad Ali's conceptual photos, due to the cultural differences and social contexts of the Iranian society, the subject of art and politics has always been and will be. This coming forward was not only for theoretical and concrete discussions, but art and politics in countries like Iran have always challenged, confronted and united with each other. Different political eras in Iran and its strategic geographical location have made artists always have references to politics in their works.
In this research, it was found that both artists were able to express their desired concepts in their works according to the cultural conditions of their time and were effective in the path of contemporary art of their society. Criticisms and articles that appeared in the press and art media about Ahmed Ali's exhibitions should lead to the creation of spaces for dialogue and new challenges regarding new ways of presenting the artist's works and concepts in the artistic community.
According to the findings of this research, the first conceptual artist in Iran is Ahmad Ali, his conceptual works in the 40s (before the revolution), as I mentioned earlier, were displayed at the same time as the works of Western artists. He has references to politics in his works, which can be seen in the continuation of his artistic process after the revolution and during the imposed war.
This research can be a small step towards the introduction and development of conceptual photography in Iran.
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