Reconciling the Past with the Present

Now in his eighties, the Iranian artist Seyed Asadollah Shariatpanahi brings decades of tumultuous times to his work, from the beginning of modernity in his homeland in the 1960s, through the revolution and Iran-Iraq war years, to the dawn of a rewarding, new millennium. Here, he talks to ArtScoops about the principles he adopts in his work and imparts to his students

You have transitioned through several phases as an artist (portraiture, cubism, realism and modern) often in parallel with historical events taking place within your country of birth. What do you regard as the biggest influences on your art in the context of Iran’s history?

Iran is a country with ancient roots that is seeking to develop throughout the modern era. We have been on this planet for more than two millennia with one identity, which has given us the chance to acquire a cultural and spiritual heritage that is not only for Iranians but, I think, a gain for all humanity. The same is true of modernity, which is, in more recent centuries, an achievement for the human race. In my works, I am trying to show how these are not necessarily in conflict, but rather can work together. This is a response to the social context of Iran, which has its roots in traditional cultures and is also in the process of transitioning to modernity. It is the responsibility of artists, who are aware of and witnessing the catastrophic conditions of human lives in modern times due to an emptiness and lack of fulfilment from modernity, to try to preserve these cultural roots and spiritual elements which give meaning to human lives. Thus, in my works, you will see that I am trying to maintain these elements, while attempting to transform the form into modernity. I also criticise the cultural aspects that are irrational, so my works are not fully supportive of traditional beliefs. I choose to keep those elements that I find rational and necessary to retain. In this way, my works are not only affected by the context of Iran’s history, but are being affected by a broader view of the history of the human race, the current status quo of humanity and what Iran’s culture and heritage can offer for this miserable situation.  

Your teachers were recognised as pioneers of the visual arts in Iran. How did they each separately influence your art?

I had the opportunity to be trained by masters that were very effective in shaping the new framework of visual arts in Iran; masters like Ashtiyani, Sadr, Momayyez, Vaziri Moghadam and Seyhoon, whose works and training have authentically formed the medium of painting in Iran. Seyhoon had the biggest impact on me since he was very focused on local cultural elements and their use with modern views and within the modern context. He was also extremely interested in new, authentic experiences in the modern era, which could transform traditional forms, but always remained insistent on the importance of principles. An artist without principles will end up only imitating and blind copying, he believed. I, too, take the same view in my works and have taught my students to adopt this approach. I believe that deformation in modern art can be achieved only after real forms are practised. I was also greatly influenced by Kamalodin Behzad’s miniatures, notably their colour, composition and movement of lines. As is evident, my works are homo-centric, like Behzad’s miniatures.

For several years (pre-2000), your life as both a teacher and artist was highly challenging and your creativity stifled. Did you ever think of leaving Iran? What made you choose to stay?

My roots are in this culture and in this land. Immigration is like moving a tree from where it is planted, and in many cases, the tree usually experiences drought. I am not a nationalist, rather I am a global citizen. In fact, some of my children live in different parts of the world, which implies that I have in no way imposed on them to stay. But making life meaningful for me has never meant necessarily moving to a better place to live. I’ve experienced difficulties working in Iran and some of those obstacles remain today, but they can also become the meaning of an artist’s life: to stay, criticise and reflect on the social context. Even if I leave Iran, I will live in much the same way - I teach and I reflect critically on social aspects in my works - so leaving Iran does not mean having less grief, only that it will be different types of grief in different social contexts. On top of all of that, I’m connected to this cultural context and could never abandon it. I have travelled to different places around the world and returned to my homeland, Semnan, because I knew it needed me. I came back, as well, with plenty of cultural gains from artists across the globe and I intend to share them with my students and reflect them in my works.

How did these experiences, both personal and artistic, affect the approach you adopted as a tutor with your students and did you change your methods in later (freer) years?

My students are like my own children: I like them to be free, though I teach them to have a thorough understanding of the principles of art. I believe in the master-student relationship and in the ethics of the artist. I teach them to honour honesty and authenticity. I put a particular emphasis on self-belief and urge them to stand in front of the mirror and be inspired by what nature has bestowed upon us. I also encourage my students to aim for an authentic and original experience rather than imitating the forms and experiences of others. That is what I did myself, rebelling against the forms and experiences of my masters to achieve a personal unique context and form of my own. I never intended to create such a self-owned medium, rather this framework marks the result of 60 years of experimental efforts in painting. I ask my students to do the same and enjoy journeying through these authentic experiences. However, I also teach them to understand the principles, and then rebel above and beyond these principles. I teach them to understand the traditional and cultural elements, explaining that they are then free to decide whether to keep or discard them.

Your later work is synonymous with the birth and development of Iranian modernity. What do you regard as the hallmarks and identity of Iranian modern art and how would you like to see it develop?

As said, I see my works as part of a continuous, 60-year experimental effort in reflecting on both social and philosophical perspectives of human lives which has fed into shaping this framework that can be viewed as Iranian modern art. While both traditional and cultural elements of Iran can be found in my works, the focus is not on these elements from a nationalistic perspective, but from the viewpoint of a global citizen who has experienced the invasion of Western culture through the globalisation process. In an era when Western thinkers are seeking cures for this meaninglessness resulting from modernity, I am proposing a form of cultural healing. Thus, I see my work as not aimed solely at preserving these elements for Iranian society, but also a proposal for the global audience to use these accomplishments from the past as much as we use people’s achievements in the modern era. There is no conflict in utilising human wisdom from different points in history and that is what I try to offer in my works. I have no intention of giving a description of Iranian modern art when I cannot concede that my work is its representation. Iranian modern artists all have their own interests, concerns and approaches, and contrasting content and forms, very much like artists of other nationalities and, more generally, in the West. What I try to seek, however, is a combination of traditional elements and modernity that is homogenous and consistent. I hope there will be more artists with similar concerns, but I am not obsessed with seeing my framework and form repeated in the works of my students and after-comers.