Original Article
Visual & Applied Arts
alireza vaez; Mohammad Khodadadi Motarjemzadeh; Mehdi Moqimnejad
Abstract
AbstractThe Discourse Constructions of Human Objects and Subjects in Zell-e- Soltan's Personal Photographs Based on Gillian Rose's Discourse Analysis Photographs and visual documents of the Qajar era reflect innumerous cultural and social values, and therefore, it is essential to pay particular attention ...
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AbstractThe Discourse Constructions of Human Objects and Subjects in Zell-e- Soltan's Personal Photographs Based on Gillian Rose's Discourse Analysis Photographs and visual documents of the Qajar era reflect innumerous cultural and social values, and therefore, it is essential to pay particular attention to this treasure as a prominent history of Iran's visual culture and art. Thus, building on qualitative and interdisciplinary method of Gillian Rose's discourse analysis, this descriptive - analytical study investigated the interactions and relationships between the participants (photographer, photography object and subject, camera and audience) in the production and consumption of the purposefully selected Zell-e-Soltan's personal photographs in portrait and social documentary genres, as well as how each participant is constructed, and examined the role of power discourses and institutions in how they are constructed in such relationships. In order to answer the question that what discourses, objects, and subjects are constructed and how they are constructed during such interactions and relationships, this study achieved some results that show the mutual effectiveness of socio - political discourses and objects and subjects in constructing one another. In this process of construction, the object in front of the camera is affected by the hidden and virtual influence of power apparatuses such as photography, and more importantly Zell-e-Soltan's monitoring and hegemonic apparatus, automatically disciplines its body and casts it in a special form, and normalizes it (distorted body). In such a monitoring process, all apparatuses are a subset of a discourse: Zell-e-Soltan's discourse. Such discourses as power, patriarchy, modernity, and discipline revolve around this political - feudal discourse, constructed through the accompanying codes of objects and subjects in photographs. In the photographic discourse of Zell -e-Soltan, a group of objects (subjects, servants and slaves, and ordinary people) are aware that they will be seen, but they are not able to see themselves, and another group (courtiers, officials, and at their head the ruler). They are aware that they both see and are seen. Now, if we consider discourse as a context in which the photographic object is both able to be seen and visible when it becomes the subject of the photograph, then it can be acknowledged that the central discourse of Zell-e-Soltan is a "Regulatory", "disciplinary" and "non-dialectical"discourse. In the study and discourse analysis of this collection of photographs, the discourses of "power", "feudalism", "patriarchy", "modernity", "disciplinary" and "respect and order" were also constructed as forms of central discourse. In this discourse, the production of these photographs is reserved for the ruler and to some extent the photographer, and their consumption is limited to the ruler, and their circulation has been completely stopped by accumulation and archiving (with self-improvement and personal ownership).Keywords: discourse analysis, photograph, Qajar era, Isfahan, Zell-e-Soltan
Original Article
Visual & Applied Arts
Amir Nazari; mohamadreza moridi; mehrnoosh shafiei sararoudi; amirali nojomian
Abstract
Pottery, which has a long-standing connection with the so-called "traditional" arts, has been re-read in the late Qajar and post-Qajar periods in the face of the dualities of art / industry and tradition / modernity. Contemporary in this period of Iranian history. In particular, the social and cultural ...
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Pottery, which has a long-standing connection with the so-called "traditional" arts, has been re-read in the late Qajar and post-Qajar periods in the face of the dualities of art / industry and tradition / modernity. Contemporary in this period of Iranian history. In particular, the social and cultural contexts of this confrontation will be important in this regard and in order to study the discourse developments of contemporary pottery, the following questions are raised: What is the meaning of "contemporary" pottery? What are the influential discourses on "contemporary pottery"? What works did Iranian pottery artists create under "being contemporary"? The present study is based on the critical discourse analysis approach and the Laclau and Moff method. The results show that pottery artists have presented their experiences under the concept of being contemporary in the context of three influential discourses on contemporary pottery. These discourses, which themselves have had different reactions to the tradition, have led to the formation and, somewhere, support for various types of pottery in the context of the hundred-year-old developments in Iranian history. Among them, we can mention the discourse of "heritage and preservation of tradition", which in the first and second Pahlavi period with the central sign of "originality" emphasized the significance, continuity and continuity of national culture and by articulating the signs of local and indigenous Iranian culture, folk art and Historical and Ancient Traditions and Emphasis on the Creation of Historical Monuments He considered tradition as a source of identity construction and historical storage of national identity, and with the support of local and rural pottery, introduced it as a national art. Pottery continued in the discourse of heritage in the years after the revolution and was considered as a part of heritage arts with traditional meanings following its applications. Also, the discourse of "modernism and neocentrism", which was formed in the second Pahlavi period and after the revolution with the central sign of connection and combination of tradition and modernity, with emphasis on harmonizing, connecting and accompanying the signs of traditional and religious culture with the signs and formalism of modern art. It provided the basis for the creation of works with political and social functions. The discourse of "contemporaneity and deconstruction of tradition" in the 1380s and 1390s, by inverting and dismantling the system of signs of tradition, provided the conditions for the entry of pottery into the field of trans-media media. . Thus, the works presented in this discourse, by adopting a postmodernist approach to tradition, sought to disguise the hidden decentralization in traditionalism and to dismantle traditional political systems and culture in order to expose the ideological functions of tradition in the new age. The platform for presenting works of this type has been national exhibitions and biennials of pottery.
Original Article
Visual & Applied Arts
Mohammad Mostafa Yazdanpanah; Hasan Bolkhari Ghehi
Abstract
New Institutionalism emerged as an innovative managerial model in the late 1990s and was adopted by several European art institutions, including galleries, art centers, and museums. It remained the dominant framework for these institutions until the end of the first decade of the 21st century. Rooted ...
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New Institutionalism emerged as an innovative managerial model in the late 1990s and was adopted by several European art institutions, including galleries, art centers, and museums. It remained the dominant framework for these institutions until the end of the first decade of the 21st century. Rooted in curatorial practices and influenced by the critical discourse of "Institutional Critique" and the academic field of "New Museology," this model developed alongside the expansion of biennials, the growing significance of social interaction, and, more broadly, a "social turn" in the art world. Unlike traditional management models, which prioritize creating a seemingly neutral space and emphasize the commercial aspects of art, New Institutionalism transformed art institutions into dynamic, interactive, and audience-centered environments. Despite its initial success, the mainstream application of New Institutionalism did not endure beyond two decades. Factors such as economic crises and conflicting interests led to the dissolution of many associated institutions or their reversion to traditional management practices. Nevertheless, its influence on art institutions and the broader art world remains significant today. This article presents fundamental research that utilizes library resources, a descriptive-analytical method, and a discourse analysis approach. It examines the context and key factors behind the emergence of New Institutionalism, analyzes its functions and impacts on art institutions, and explores the shortcomings of this movement, culminating in an investigation of the reasons for its decline.
Original Article
Visual & Applied Arts
Mahnaz Shafiei; Soheila Bahremani
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 ...
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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.
Original Article
Visual & Applied Arts
Nahid Jafari Dehkordi; Elaheh Panjehbashi
Abstract
Demons have been widely present in the culture of Iranian legends. They are also present in the Iranian version of religious legends. One of these is the story of Suleiman, in which Iranians narrate the presence of demons among the servants of that prophet. Although there is no specific and established ...
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Demons have been widely present in the culture of Iranian legends. They are also present in the Iranian version of religious legends. One of these is the story of Suleiman, in which Iranians narrate the presence of demons among the servants of that prophet. Although there is no specific and established form of these beings, but the summation of definitions in Iranian texts makes it conceivable with some dos and don'ts. Paintings flourished as an art industry in the Qajar period, and its body became an arena for performing art and expressing the feelings and thoughts of artists. Images of epic, romantic scenes, natural landscapes, Islamic geometric motifs, etc. were engraved on them. These works were often accessible to a wide range of age groups. Although the lower economic classes of society have had limited access to them.The important thing about some of these works was the existence of images of supernatural beings whose retelling in folklore or literary stories could create a feeling of extreme fear for the listener; How about displaying their images on decorative dishes. Although in the previous centuries, the use of these motifs was seen on metal containers or other items, but the use of those images on household utensils gained a significant boom in the Qajar period. Although in the religion of Islam, the word of revelation has spread to the other world and it is said that some jinns have heard the word of revelation and have accepted it. Or, in the unofficial literature of the Shia religion, there is talk of the jinn's sympathy with the martyrs of Karbala; But this point is much stronger in the case of Solomon. This prophet extended the scope of his spiritual rule to the intangible world, apart from humans and animals, and jinns and demons were devoted to his service and helped him in fulfilling his wishes. From this point of view, Prophet Suleiman's rule is an example of an ideal rule, where the spirit of the world calmed down, the beasts stopped enmity, and the terrifying creatures became tolerant of humans. The aim of the present study is to identify how to depict supernatural creatures in Solomon Nabi's court by Qajar lacquer artists, and the question arises that "on what principles did Qajar artists depict supernatural creatures in lacquer paintings?" From the qualitative method and their examination and measurement with 5 lacquer paintings of the Qajar period, they have come to the conclusion that in this period, Iranians' understanding of the divan has undergone major changes as follows: a large part of the demons with female characteristics, behavior and clothing painted and included in the ranks of harem women and the rest have lost their malevolent and demonic characteristics and are seen in a state of pure passivity, harmlessness and helplessness has redefined the traditional role of women, and in such an environment, the character roles, values and concepts of the previous boundaries have been lost, and they have dissolved into each other.
Original Article
Visual & Applied Arts
Mohsen Afrouzi; Atoosa Azamkasiri
Abstract
News photography, given its structural and expressive characteristics, has the ability to narrate news events succinctly and impactfully in the form of images, as well as to corroborate the news text and enhance its value. In this research, the main goal is to analyze the communicative and semantic dimensions ...
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News photography, given its structural and expressive characteristics, has the ability to narrate news events succinctly and impactfully in the form of images, as well as to corroborate the news text and enhance its value. In this research, the main goal is to analyze the communicative and semantic dimensions within the visual and expressive structure of news photos based on the framework of visual social semiotics. The study is conducted through a case analysis of news photos from Agence France-Presse. Visual social semiotics has also been employed as a research method to identify and access the constructive and constituent elements of news photos within the context of one of the world's leading news agencies. Thus, the research aims to address the following key questions: What are the communicative and semantic characteristics within the visual and expressive structure of news photos from Agence France-Presse according to the visual social semiotics framework? And what practical insights can be derived from this understanding? In this research, by analyzing and comparing the samples in terms of sensory factors, informational content, and methods of expression, notable features have been identified in both general and specific contexts. At the level of narrative meaning, the immediate actions and behavioral reactions of elements guide the visual and semantic storyline. At the level of interactive meaning, employing medium shots and front-facing angles often aims to establish a closer connection with the event and convey curated information. And at the level of textual meaning, the primary event visually dominates the center of the scene, while other elements and occurrences are organized along an axis, creating a coherent and immediate visual linkage.
