Research Statement

Research Statement

My research project focuses on Sherin Neshat an Iranian visual artist and the subjects attributed within her works of art hence the culture and religion depicted within the work. She was born in 1957 in Iran, but completed her studies in the filed of art in California, during that time of period, the Iranian revolution came about, which could have mainly inspired her work. Although She did not began creating art until her thirties, she is very much considered as one of the most important contemporary artist in the world. She is well known mainly for her video, photography and film work. 

When it comes to analyzing Shirin Neshat’s work of art one most look deep and consider her background, her work incorporates a lot of cultural, traditional, gender and religious content. Her work touches up on common communicational context considering loss, meaning and memory. She brings about the fundamental natures of the Islamic religion and encompasses them within the art.

           What I tried to focus on with my research was keeping up with showing the psychological experience of gender in the modern Islamic society which she uses as means sending out a message to the world concerning women in the Middle Eastern and Islamic nations within her perspective.

            The focal point of my research was trying to keep up with factual and historical events concerning anything in relation with Iran, women and Islam. It was not the easiest thing to do seeing as how the three subjects are not really the most art related types of matter.

What I enjoyed employing my research on the most was the subject of Islam.  Not only was there a lot that I didn’t know about it considering that it is my religion, but I didn’t know there was a lot of arena of artistic influence from such a faith.  
           My research narrowed down to the arts of the holy Quran and the architecture of the Mosques and the history behind it. Art in Islam consists of calligraphy and floral designs to decorate objects, embroidery and textile. Art in Islam is considered as aniconic art hence it does not incorporate any type of human figure but merely anionic ornament geography and arabesque calligraphy etc.  The art of writing is an importance aspect in Islamic art again they do not use iconic style so that’s all they’ve got to work with besides geometries, they elaborate on the calligraphy with predominate types of writing called Kufic and Cursive.  Illumination of the Qur’an with gold leaf and gold ink is another elaboration of art. As for the mosque is almost pretty much the same thing when it comes to decoration. The widely used type of decoration involve calligraphy, hypostyle, muqarnas vaulting (a strictly Islamic type of vaulting) which replaced Corinthian columns for the ancient roman times and finally intrinsic and mathematical geometry.

In conclusion it was a great experience putting this little research blog together, although I may not have elaborated on the design within the blog but I certainly have learned a lot throughout creating it. I had no idea that from one thing one can learn many other things, broadening our way of thought is quite a challenge. My love for my religion has grown I have learned to appreciate such intricate way of putting art together with just shapes and letters, its pretty amazing.  

Mid Term assignment

Fall 2010 Mid Term Exam

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              Sherin Neshat-Rapture

My artist’s of choice’s name is Shirin Neshat.  She is an Iranian visual artist who currently lives in New York.  She was born in 1957, but completed her studies in the filed of art in California, during her that, the Iranian revolution came about, which could have mainly inspired her work. Although She did not began creating art until her thirties, she is very much considered as one of the most important contemporary artist in the world. She is well known mainly for her video, photography and film work. 

Considering her background, her work integrates a lot of cultural, traditional, gender and religious content.  Her work touches up on collective communication considering loss, meaning and memory. She brings about the fundamental natures of the Islamic religion and incorporates within them an art. The concept behind her work Rapture, as she shows the psychological experience of gender in the modern Islamic society that is she is trying to send out a message to the world concerning women in the Middle Eastern and Islamic nations within her perspective.  She uses a lot of dark composition; she uses a lot of women in her work of art. Woman in Islam are a vital and critical subject to be brought up universal especially in the arts. It is so much talked about politically wise.

With Rapture Neshat created pure photography. Rapture is also a series of short films, but from them also come the photography. The first was created in 1999 and the second that I will interpret was created in 2001, it’s called Rapture, Women with Writing on Hands. The form of one piece of her artwork consisted of a group of women veiled in black abayat (traditional Islamic modest clothing) settled on the ground in what seemed to be in the middle of nowhere reaching out with their hands upwards with henna tattoos on their palms, in what seems to be Arabic or Farsi scripture. Another of her work depicts women once again all dressed in black abayat, scattered by the seashore facing it. Her photos are black and white, which tend to be very affective towards the viewer.

I don’t know what the message behind such photos is, but from what I see it, is that she is trying very hard to make the Muslim veiled women as oppressed and not of this world, as if they were from a backward world as if their in the urge to escape. She uses dark contrast; dark clothing and the women’s gestures bring negative thought to the viewer’s interpretation.  Considering the political issues in Iran the viewer can surpass the religious aspect, because not all Islamic nations “oppress” their women. I do not know much about the politics of Iran, but I do know that all the women when in public must cover themselves. She is depicting these women as refugees escaping from political and traditional arena that they are clustered within.

Also considering her personal experiences, of where she grew up, the changes that occurred during her life before and post Iranian revolution may very well have to do with the irrationality that she portrays in her pieces. As a woman from the Middle East herself I’m sure she has some sort of a personal relationship with her artwork. I do not know if she is a Muslim herself nowhere in my research did it come up. But perhaps she was, but because she was from an upper class westernized family, those specific secular groups within the pre-Iranian revolution were the ones who got afflicted the most during and after the war, perhaps after that she grew to detest the religion. In away she dedicated her artwork to expressing her thoughts and feelings.

              As I referred before the subject of her artwork are women, specifically Muslim women. But the focal point if her work emphasizes on gender and identity in the Islamic societies.  She uses deserted places as the background to contrast her focal point, for example what looked like an abandoned city, with its remains and mountains of stones scattered about that indicates its barrenness.  The other photograph of encompassed a wide spread at a standstill ocean, with a sky that was slightly furnished with a fog. These sorts of backgrounds just add in more emphasis on to the message she is trying to bring about. 

In conclusion it is always vital to look back at where the art was located, the culture and conditions that border it. This helps us understand the relationship this piece of work may have with its owner, otherwise one would be left at a loose end. Over all as a Muslim women myself I was touched by Neshat’s work, I found it interesting how each and every one of us looks a situation differently.

Ataurique

Fine architectural detail at the Alhambra Palace in Southern Spain.

Arabesque

 The arabesque is an artistic motif that is characterized by the application of repeating geometric forms and fancifully combined patterns; these forms often echo those of plants and animals. Arabesques are elements of Islamic art often found decorating the walls of mosques. The choice of which geometric forms are to be used and how they are to be formatted is based upon the Islamic view of the world. To Muslims, these forms, taken together, constitute an infinite pattern that extends beyond the visible material world. To many in the Islamic world, they concretely symbolize the infinite, and therefore uncentralized, nature of the creation of the one God (Allah). Furthermore, the Islamic Arabesque artist conveys a spirituality without the iconography of Christian art.