This investigation is based on three artists Stefan Sagmeister, Shirin Neshat and Golnas Fahti.

Neshats from the collection Women of Allah,

Sagmeisters named after the musician Lou Reeds song Set The Twilight Reeling and Fahtis from the collection Falling Leaves. All with many
similarities in technique, but all have different subject matters. One major motif all three pieces have in common is the diverse style of calligraphy. In
Neshats and Fahtis pieces they stuck to the traditional style of ancient Persian Calligraphy, by incorporating texts from the Shahname and Iranian poems, yet
they used this with a modern twist through using mediums of photography or abstract art. Sagmeister, used techniques of messy child like text, to match his
metamorphosis from a dark period of his life. All three of the pieces incorporate calligraphy with a historical interpretation or a message from the past,
politics or personal damage from past relationships. Although very similar in technique all of the pieces end with different aesthetic outcomes and are unique
in their own way. To include mixed media, Neshat uses ink on the surface of her photography. Similar to Neshats piece Fahti also uses mixed media in her
chaotic abstract, yet
detailed piece. She
uses paints and ink for
the detailed characters
shown in the piece. Her
image depicts war
with splashes of red
paint and chaotic
illustrations taken from
the stories of the
Shahnameh.
Neshat
shows violence as
juxtaposition from her
contrasting balanced
and still photograph and
places a gun, which is
a symbol of war and
death in the middle of
her piece. Sagmeisters
piece shows damage
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through the depressed
lyrics written on the
poster and the dark tint of blue hiding the models face. The artists also incorporate calligraphy for deign and abstract purposes, the movement of the Iranian
calligraphy is seen itself as art, not just what is written through the meaning. This is also seen in Sagmeisters pieces as he uses calligraphy as a pattern or
design forming a motif in many of his pieces.
There are many aspects of visual arts that I feel passionate towards from graphic design, photography to painting and sculpture. Sagmeister is a great
graphic designer of the modern day and his piece Set The Twilight Reeling is innovative and has many physical features that incorporate deeper meaning.
Neshat and Fahti would come into the category of some of my favorite artists mainly because of the connection they bring to their artwork from their culture
and background of Iran. As I am Iranian and love learning about my culture, the two artists I studied gave me joy and it was easy to gain interest. The
similarities and contrasts in technique and ideas of all three of these artists have given ideas and techniques for my future work. In the pages to come my work
in 3D forms will be based off of ideas connected to these three innovative and unique artists.

Calligraphy; depicted as a

motif and historical symbol

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Stefan Sagmeister created the Poster of Lou Reed in 1996

after being inspired by Iranian artist Shirin Neshat. The poster
was a photo of Lou Reed, he is significant as he wrote a song
that Sagmeister could relate two and was personal to him. The
words written on Lou Reeds face were the lyrics to the song he
was inspired by. The musician ended up using this as the design
for his CD cover. Sagmeister is well known for his creativity in
design and in this CD cover he purposefully tinted Lou reed
portrait indigo over the indigo CD case. This allowed Reeds
face to be vivid in on the cover, yet when you opened the case
the designed portrait was clear to see. The portrait is tinted
indigo, as the title to the CD cover is Set The Twilight
Reeling, relating to the colors seen at twilight. When the CD
is opened you are invited in with more vibrant colors like a
shocking yellow, this is a metaphor for Lou Reeds transition
from his dark days to a newfound man. The face is set with the
portrait centered, with the title written on his head. The words
that stand out are written in slightly bigger text, such as sex,
heart and cry. The words give the feel of damaged
relationship and with the color of indigo we feel a gloomy
connection to the poster. The typeface used on the poster
connects to the lyrics, as it is rough, jagged and untidy.

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The eyes of the portrait are centered and

piercing as they stare straight ahead, this gives
the effect of strength and control to the image
in the poster. Yet the words on his face depict
anger and grief, which contributes to the many
emotions seen in this piece. Before creating the
poster, Sagmeister sat with Lou Reed to discuss
his past and what the album symbolized to him,
the final design of the album represented his
metamorphosis into a new man. This was seen
through the colors of dark indigo and a vivid
image of him to a bright yellow and a clear
image of his portrait. The qualities of the work
together show significance to Lou Reeds life
and harmonies as a piece of art. This work is
original as many other pieces Sagmeister
creates, his design is invite as he shows the
transition of Lou Reeds life in a symbolic way
through a CD cover.

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The poster created by Stefan Sagmeister, has a

distinct composition and the close up of Reeds
portrait shows a dominance, which creates
significance towards the image on the poster.
The alignment of the lyrics on Lou Reeds face is
positioned creating curved and diagonal lines,
this generates disordered movement to the piece.
The image of Reeds face looks as if it is cut out
to creating a top heavy shape, and the neck is at
an angle instead of straight and centered, this
gives the poster an imbalance and awkward
look. In order to show the contrast in character
Lou Reed has formed to the colors indigo and
yellow are used in the CD design, as they are
complimentary colors. Tonal value is used in the
poster to make the white portrait stand out
against the dark background. Size plays another
role in the poster; the image has been blown up
to intensify Reeds face as it dominates most of
the screen. The image has even cut parts of
Reeds face out such as his ears as his ears; this
is to focus more on his piercing eyes and facial
expression. The darkest values on the portrait
such as the writing and the eyes stand out; this is
purposely done to grab the attention of the
viewer. The eyes and the words combine show
intensity and depict Reeds character and
thoughts.

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Shirin Neshat is a political artist who concentrates on the conflicts in her home
country and the revolution of Iran in 1978-1979. Her inspirational pieces that
empower women, have forbidden her from going back to her home country. This
piece was one of the many photographs taken in her collection Women of Allah.
She had created these pieces after re-visiting Iran and encountering, how the
Islamic revolution suppressed the women of her culture, specifically the Iranian
women soldiers. The Women of Allah was a collection of photos; she chose this,
as it is a clear medium to represent the realism, immediacy and drama. Neshat
focuses on the simplicity of her photos as it depicts a clear image, yet can show
complexity. On top of this Neshat also created this collection in black and white
as it stuck with the theme of simplicity. The piece shows juxtaposition as we see
the feminine and innocence of Muslim women, through her beauty and facial
features, yet it is being overcome by the political and corrupt side of Islam. The
words written on the models face was inspiration from Indian culture of henna, it
to has a symbol, the henna is beautiful, yet it in purifies the skin. The writing itself
is an inscription of historic poetry and literature, it writes about how a womans
sexuality and individuality is demolished by the chador. The historic poetry and
literature has a message too, as many of Irans literature have been repressed due
to Islam and political reasons. The series of photographs take focus on the chador,
which ironically conceals the body of women, but truly draws attention to her;
this was spoken by a famous poet before the revolution, Forough Farokhzad. In
this image the chador is a representation of womens strength, with the gun facing
her, she is ready to go to war even under the laws of the harem.
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The contemporary image Rebellious Silence is

approximately 40 x 60 size, as Neshat prefers to work
with bigger pieces. Her approach to photography is
similar to sculpture, as she likes to interact with her
model to discuss the work in length and sketch her
vision before creating it. The forms are very dominant
yet basic, everything is centered leading to a nonchaotic, more ordered feel. The womens face has no
makeup on, which shows strength on the other hand
her eyes are focused into the camera this shows
strength. The gun is positioned close to her face
symbolizing no fear and might for the women soldier.
Her facial expression is serious; this strength is ironic
to see as the chador has been created to undermine
women of Islam. The piece can be considered mixed
media as the face of the model is painted with ink, this
is ironic as the face is allowed to be seen and not
covered up according to Islamic law.
This piece has many messages and political
ideas of contemporary Iran now, which is what Neshat
wanted to establish. We as the audience can see a clear
visual of strength of this woman even through the
covering of the chador. As an Iranian, knowing the
history of my country I can relate to this piece even
more and feel the emotions of anger Neshat is trying to
portray. The photograph has originality, like the poet
Forough Farokhzad she too breaks boundaries as she
illustrates the demoralization of women in Iran, which
is not common for western artists. This political
message was clearly seen through the photograph that
the collection couldnt be shown in Iran for its
powerful, rebellious significance to the culture.

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The work is constructed to create a physical

photographic harmony that is appealing to the eye. As a
piece of art the photograph has many elements and
principles of design, such line, shape and color. The
linear forms consist of a dark curved line surrounding
this womens face, in effect creating bigger organic
shapes such of her body in a chador. The outfit she is
wearing gives her a almost symmetrical shape that
doesnt fit her body, this takes away from her physical
individuality. The shapes are clearly defined through the
tonal value of the black and white image. The darkest
values are what stand out the most, which includes the
chador, writing and the eyes. This creates a more
powerful message because at first glance you see the
message given by the main dominant forms. The chador
stands out especially in contrast to the white
background, another element that allows the chador to
project would be its size as it fits the majority of the
surface area, this is ironic as it is supposed to hide
women and not have them stand out. Having the gun
positioned vertically in the middle of the paper creates a
line of symmetry; it covers her nose and mouth as if to
silence her, yet her eyes tell us she is strong and
confident. The texture from the eyes and the gun detract
from the chador and give a glossy three-dimensional
texture in comparison to the flatter form of the chador.
The writing shows direction through the horizontal
linear forms in contrast to the vertical lines of the gun.
Although not the same, the lines still create a steadiness
and balance mixed with the softer curved lines of the
chador.

Stefan Sagmeister

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Shirin Neshat

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Describe
Golnaz Fathi is a modern day Iranian calligraphy artist; her
pieces refer to the ancient poems of the Shahnahme, which is the
book of kings. The untitled piece is part of a collection called
Falling Leaves, created in 2013. The work is a mixed media piece;
Fathi used materials such as, ink and acrylics over a white canvas.
Fahti is an international artist who has lived in Hong Kong, Iran
and Dubai. Her collection based on the social and political aspects
of Iran was exhibited in Dubai, yet she currently lives in Iran. Fathi
studied at Azad University in Iran, for graphic design and later on
studies Persian calligraphy for 6years. Fathis piece is based on the
transformation of ordered calligraphy into figurative forms and
shapes. The piece is abstract and detailed with splashes of paint
naturally pored down the canvas and large acrylic forms shaped
with a pallet knife. The delicate inked forms on either side of red
mark are detailed lithographic illustration inspired from the poem in
the shahnahme. The illustrations are of soldiers and kings fighting
at war, this is accompanied by smaller markings of quotes from the
poem itself along the outer rims of the ink. The reason for the
calligraphy being at oblique angles and at random positions is
because Fathi did not want to conform to the rules and perspectives
of traditional calligraphy, instead plays to her own unique
explorations.

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Golnaz Fathi
Falling Leaves
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Analyze
Similar to this piece, many of Fathis works are abstract, constructed through
bold and fine brush strokes of overlapping calligraphy to translate into a different
visual form. The dominant linear forms are mostly vertical and suggest a sense of
formality in contrast to the chaotic linear forms made by the black ink. The bold red
color is the most dominant part of the image as it is centered, it overlaps the other
layers and it is the largest solid form in the piece. The texture of the red paint is visible
as some strokes are more opaque than others, giving it a patchy layering effect. The
black compliments with the white, allowing the black figures to stand out. Fathi
wanted her image to depict movement and action and she has achieved this through
her chaotic mark making and curved lines. There is a slight awkwardness to the piece
as the flow of the illustration is not continued as your eyes reach to the middle of the
page, this is due to the contrast of forms and mark making. The composition of the
piece acts as a balance as the forms are all squared into the center allowing a white rim
to be seen on the outer part of the piece. The repeated condense dark lines give a
monotonous movement to the image also adding to the balance and symmetry of the
piece. Fathi also shows precision as she uses ink to draw illustrations among the
Persian calligraphic strokes. She has used tonal value to help the illustrations come to
life, such as the horses and the soldiers in the image.

Golnaz Fahti incorporates ancient

Persian calligraphy, with
illustrations of soldiers described
in the Shahnahme. This is created
with detailed thin strokes of ink.

Judgment or Evaluation
Overall the work was a great success as Golnaz Fathi has
transformed traditional calligraphy art into a modern and innovative
idiom. The bold marks of red show her stepping out and
transitioning from the rules of traditional calligraphy and into a
more modern form of art. Fahti also has a specific style similar to
many Persian calligraphy artists; this is layering and the illegibility
of the calligraphy. In this piece, Fathi is blurring the lines between
illegible and legible writing, as she overlaps and intertwines
calligraphy with illustrations. The fine line brush strokes on to the
white paper allows us to see Fathis technique clearly, but also
gives the image a sense of vulnerability from the simplicity of the
art. Compared to other calligraphic artists, Fathi steps over the
boundaries, especially in Falling leaves collection as she
incorporates bright bold colors, creating mixed media. Although
Fathis layering style is similar to other Persian calligraphy artists,
she still achieves a distinct style through themes of her work. This
specific collection is based on the traditions and poetry of the
Shahnahme, yet Fathi has created a modern twist as she uses the
curved forms of calligraphy to create modern abstract forms. The
repetition of the calligraphy and the refining of the characters result
in a page full of layered writings, this is a style called Siah
Mashgh, which means black practice. Her practice of calligraphy
allowed her to create a harmonizing image of delicately intertwined
illustrations and Persian calligraphy, creating new forms and
expressions to her piece.

Interoperate
The mixed media piece is Fathis interpretation of the Shahnahme,
which translates into poetic stories of past kings. In the image from the
collection Falling Leaves we see the image of a gruesome war. The bold blood
red acrylic spread in the middle of the image symbolizes the blood of the
soldiers at war. Fathi has become so graphic with the red paint that she drips it
down the page to act as blood and also drips down the black ink to show the
death of the soldiers. The significance of the illustrations on either side of the
canvas facing one another indicates the two opposite sides of the war, yet
neither is looked at as bad or good sides. As the center is not detailed we do
not see the two sides interact, we only see a red blur, this symbolizes the
experience and trauma that may come out of it. The spacing of the work is
quite centered and condenses, giving it chaotic and aggressive qualities. Lastly
the title of the collection, Falling Leaves has been given a symbol that the
pieces were from falling pages of the Shahnahme. The piece revolves around
the theme of ancient Iranian traditions, with the use of the Persian calligraphy
and the symbol of the shahnahme, which depict futile war. In some aspects
Fathi can relate her pieces to the social and political side of her home country,
Iran and the ongoing conflicts of the Middle East, as if history is repeating
itself.
Other art works by
Golnaz Fathi

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Compara.ve study Copied photos

During the exhibi.on the class ventured to the

Victorian and Albert Museum for inspira.on
and a comparison with the ar.st researched
at the beginning of the year.

During 1206-27 the Mongols invaded Iran and although brought

disrup.on, they also brought a new culture and a larger surface
for interna.onal trade. The eld of ceramics was introduced, and
it was common to create paIerned gold and blue bowls. The
Middle Eastern design also incorporated stories into the bowls,
mainly of love and war, similar to Golnaz Fathis piece falling
leaves.
Ceramics in Iran were inspired by illustra.on and story telling,
the ceramics bowl below, Bowl with Two Men with inspira.on
of the Mongols invasion. The two men are clearly Mongols this is
depicted through the way they are dresses. Amongst this there is
a common design for that era, which include the fringed rim,
repeated panels and the blue and gold colors. The now historical
design of the two men also relates to Fathis pieces where she
draws delicate images of soldiers gh.ng at war, signicantly in
her piece falling leaves. Although the invasion did inuence
Irans trade and poIery, the country s.ll kept its own tradi.ons
with ceramics. Throughout history Iran is well known for keeping
to its tradi.ons, the Turquoise and Black Dish is an example of
this, as the bowl incorporates the turquoise porcelain and oral
black design. The commonality of calligraphy used as a design in
daily object like bowls can be compared to the way Sagmeister
used his calligraphy for his modern designs. Using the lyrics of Lou
Reeds song, Sagmeister used this to create imagery on the CD
crea.ng a story of Reeds metamorphosis, within the aesthe.cs
and physicalitys of the CD case.

Bowl with
Two Men

The history of Iran has influenced the art and design of

its culture today. The classical calligraphy created by
famous poets, like hafiz and literature like the Shnahme
are still used by modern artists of today, like Shirin
Neshat and Golnaz Fathi. After my research in the
Victoria and Albert museum, I found the Asian/ Iranian
section to have many commonalities with my artist of
research. The decretive and patterned pieces inspired
me to exploit my calligraphy work in other ways. As
well as using the calligraphy as more of an abstract
pattern or symbol like Sagmeister, I can use the
meaning to create a story like the ancient ceramic luster
bowls and maybe take a political stance like Neshat of
Fathi.

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Religion and Historical inuence

Religion

was highly thought of and like in many

cultures the religious buildings were decorated, in
Iran it was common for the buildings to have rich
gold and blue colors and luster over glaze. The
Arabic calligraphy is of significant extracts from the
Quran, decorated with a light patterned relief. The
blue Arabic writing has been distorted with long
linear font, which allows it to stand out from the
smaller curved patters. Many of the designs used for
ceramics were copied from the Chinese, such as the
shape and paneled decoration of the luster bowls,
seen in the image below.
Calligraphy in daily objects were common all
around the world; one would be the Marble Basin
from Ablutions Fountain The fountain dated from
1277 has a calligraphy relief on the top half of the
curved bowl, this has a religious connotation. The
fountain was situated in the courtyard of a mosque
and was the main basin of the fountain. It was used
as a supply of clean water so the faithful could wash
their hands before prayer. In Turkey a tile is found in
Istanbul with a strong religious connation, it has the
prophet Muhammad and its successors, stating its
Sunni Muslim symbolism. This piece of calligraphy
is a mark of history as it shows the religious state of
the country at the time. Calligraphy is still used to
state your beliefs and opinions, which the artist
Shirin Neshat is known for as she expresses many
political views of todays time in her art.

The honoring of the dead is a tradition for Iran and other

Muslim countries, during the late 1300s tiles were
produced as a lavish design for those of wealth and
importance. The tiles shown are taken from the Tomb of
Buyanquli Khan, all with the theme of a rich turquoise
color, which was most popular at the time. The tiles were
placed to suggest the burial was under the Islamic law, and
was mostly decorated with a religious calligraphy. The
patterns in these designs blends with the calligraphy almost
giving the allusion the calligraphy itself is not words,
instead a pattern. A common motif used were mainly of
curved floral shapes and Aztec designs. The tomb is
located in modern day Uzbekistan and has a simple cubic
architectural structure. The .les taken were stripped from
walls and doors of the tomb. The tomb itself is not grand
without the decora.on as it consists of two rooms. The
.les were made out of glaze colors of black, white, and
cobalt details on a deep turquoise blue background,
crea.ng a powerful unifying eect. The turquoise color
was and s.ll is a popular color for Middle Eastern
Ceramics.

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Religion and Historical inuence

Honoring the dead is a tradi.on in Iran kept for many years and the calligraphy of tails and
Qur'anic quotes all signify praises Buyanquli Khan. Similar to modern day when we write on
the tombstones of those who have passed, this shows that tradi.ons expand and inuence
one another interna.onally. It was quite popular for ceremonious and grand burials to
happen in the past, for example the Egyp.ans and the mummica.ons and grand tombs. The
deeply carved earthenware protected with a colored glaze has worn down and crumbled
throughout the years, this is because of the briIle material and the Asian climate, and this
gives a dusty exterior to the ar.facts found today. Although an allusion of paIerns, the
calligraphy, one of the main aspects of the .les can be seen through the tonal value added
with the black and white paint. The calligraphy itself is also extended up and stretched to
project and be seen clearly. All the .les collec.vely create harmony as they all have a mo.f
of geometric shapes through deep reliefs and are all restricted to the color turquoise.

The Tomb of Buyanquli Khan has Qur'anic quotes used to

symbolize the religious burial. The calligraphy has been
exaggerated in length to appear as long linear forms, this gives the
words a bold impression and draws the eyes directly to the text.
The mo.f, similar to many Iranian ceramics at the .me
incorporated geometric shapes amongst oral paIerns, the variety
and repe..on of these shapes created a complex and detailed
composi.on. The colors of the .les were very restricted and stay
with the main theme of blacks and turquoise. The turquoise is used
as a rich color to signify status and importance. The dark black and
the white, allows the relief to be more bold and gives the .les a
strong tonal value. The ver.cal lines give the .les a direc.on of
balance and a sense of perfec.on. The deep relief gives the .le a
physical texture, which has been eroded over the years due to the
central Asian climate. The dominance of the .les is hard to see as
all areas are relived and the majority is one color, this creates a
monotonous paIern, as there is an allusion of uidity, which
results in all .les having a sense of unity.

Before A_er

Poetry and design

During the late 1200s stories became
fashionable to be painted on the
ceramics, with in scripted poems and
calligraphic paIerns. The Shanahme, a
famous Book of Kings was used to
design the Tile with Bahram Gur
Hun.ng On this .le it shows Bahrams
prowess as he shoots an arrow to the
hind legs of a deer. Similar war and
ac.on stories illustrated onto the
bowls were, the story of the Chinese
dragon and the phoenix with the
Quran in scripted around it. As well as
stories ceramics was greatly inuenced
by poets like Haz and Rumi during the
13th century. The poems created by the
two were illustrated into beau.ful
works of art, on mediums like clay and
ceramics. The poems were created into
paIerns and abstract designs similar to
t h e m o d e r n d a y a r . s t S t e f a n
Sagmeister. Calligraphy was taken to a
new level and introduced into an art of
itself. Poetry was the source of imagery
as it represented a most high
esteemed form of literature. The
luxury copies tended to symbolizes
love stories of women and handsome
men. This would be depicted on walls
or object like lamps and pots.

The Jug inspired by Arabic and Persian, found

in Afghanistan, Herat, is a detailed pot-belled jug
with the poems of Haz. The jug is dated to
1461-2 and has common design features for its
.me. The jug was a drinking vessel, for the upper
class, this is seen by the two lyrical inscrip.ons of
Hazs poems in the middle of the piece. The
calligraphy is mixed in with the paIern going
Tile with Bahram around the jug and creates the allusion of the
Gur Hun.ng
words being seen ad a paIerned form. The
handle to the side has detailed top, which looks
lie a dragon, this imagery is inuenced by the
Chinese design and is a symbol to their country.
The jug is made out of gold, with black and silver
composi.on and partly inlayed decora.on. The
jug is split in ribbons, each with its own decre.ve
piece. It was used for drinking wine and the
poems of the jug, relate to good wishes and the
drinking of wine.

Haz, Iran's
famous poet

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Poetry and design

The piece itself has many rened details and elements
that bring the piece together. The ribboned sec.ons
create a linear form circling around the jug; this is not
just placed there for design purposes, but also
prac.cality for the jug to stand. The lines are not placed
in a paIern making some ribbons bigger than others,
and the horizontal direc.on suggests stability. The
geometric shapes, common to this era are repeated
around the surface crea.ng a geometric mo.f. The
design of the bowl is mainly for prac.cality, its rounded
base gives the bowl a short circular appeal. The size of
the poems is larger and isolated at the top of the jug
with larger indents, sta.ng its signicance. The gold
material and design relief gives a shinny and detailed
physical texture. The gold color symbolizes the high
value and status of the jug and the dark black and silver
composi.on adds tonal value to make the relief paIerns
protrude out. The jug is bas heavy, giving it a heavy look,
but it is not symmetrical and does not show balance.
The monotone color brings each sec.on of the piece
together from the base to the handle and gives the jug a
sense of unity. The repe..on of paIerns and geometric
shape also add detail and draws the eyes to the
varia.on of repe..on.

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The image The Jug inspired by Arabic and Persian is carefully

constructed to symbolize the idea of good health and the drinking of
wine, as it is a wine jug. The calligraphy and geometric forms are
designed in a way that creates the allusion of uidity and is hard to tell
the dierence between the calligraphy and the paIerns. The jug also
displays the inuence and invasion of the Mongols, as the handle is of a
Chineses dragon. The expressive quali.es are rich and have a quality of
high status; this is because the gold and the poe.c calligraphy both
symbolize a high status and level of educa.on. The connota.on and
meaning of the poem itself is old fashioned and tradi.onal to the Iranian
culture of living well and with good health. History inuences the art of
the present day, as you can see on the jug there are interna.onal
inuences from Arabic calligraphy to the Chinese dragon. In many of
Neshat and Fathis pieces we see the way there culture has inuenced
there art today as they depict war and violence of there countries past in
there images.

A2

Exhibi.on Pieces
A1

I took inspira.on from the ar.st of research, especially Shirin Neshat. Her collec.on the
Women of Allah, which was based on poli.cal art and the rights for women soldiers in Iran. I
decided to create mul.ple portraits of Iranian women with only the eyes and facial features
showing to show the restric.ons of the hijab in the Islamic religion. To contrast this I used the
meaning of the poem if you want to gather the light you must make re unknown which is
based o of ancient broken Iranian. The poem relates back to the Zoroastrian religion where
re was seen as a holy symbol for hope and strength and contrasts against the hijab of the
Islamic religion. I used calligraphy in each of my pieces so when seen together there is a clear
mo.f. For three of my individual Photoshop based pieces I used the technique similar to Stefan
Sagmeister and Shirin Neshat where they take a Photo and a dierent medium to draw on top
of the image, crea.ng a mixed media piece. For the
larger A1 piece I decided to emphasize the detail on
the eyes and mouth as it is the rst features you see
when looking at a women in a hijab. On the
background of this piece I used a squeegee and
acrylic paints to create a abstract textured
background, this technique was taken to a ar.st
researched before, named Gerhard Richter. The st
Photoshop based image I used the images of re I
took and the image of the sun, which both relate
back to the poem. For the second piece I decided to
create a poli.cal message by crea.ng a visual image
with the hijab o of the model and used the
calligraphy around her face with the English word
freedom on her forehead. Stefan Sagmeister also
used text on the face of his poster for Lou Reed, he
was mainly inspired by henna art, which is what I
tried to translate onto this image. For the last image I
emphasized the dark tones and wanted the covering
of the hijab and the dark facial features to show
through. Symbolizing the boundaries women have
when wearing a hijab. When crea.ng the photos I
had to think of the composi.ons to emphasize the
features of the model and show the structure of the
hijab.

I decide to look at the calligraphy in a more abstract way

instead of using the words in a literal way. I wanted to
exaggerate the curves seen in Iranian calligraphy so I used
ink and a sponge to exaggerate the curved lines. I worked
with the same poem crea.ng curved lines with the ink
which gave a smooth texture with heavier and lighter areas
of color due to the liquidized ink. In between this is wrote
by hand the same poem, which created a repe..on and a
blended linear texture in the background. In the image I
wanted to focus on layering and repe..on. I used red and
green and white as they are the colors of the Iranian ag
and symbolize war, Islam and peace. Similar to the ar.st
researched, Golnaz Fah. who used a famous poets work
(Hafez), I used the poem as a mo.f.

For this piece I used a stencil and created a layered image

with spray-paint. This was taken by the experimenta.on
from my process pornolio and was rened to make it
more neat with less excess spray. I used the warm color
and sprayed the stencil to create a circular shape to
symbolize the sun. This related back to the poem about
light. The reple.on of the stencil created long linear
forms, which became concentrated as it entered the
middle. I took the inspira.on of repea.ng the same poem
from Golnaz Fah., who also repeated the same scripture
in her pieces. The repeated forms created a concentrated
inner circle that gives a dominance and a centered
composi.on to the piece. The historical reference is
related to the Zoroastrian religion and the holy symbol of
the sun and re, which is what the old broken poem
references to.

50X50

50X50

The three images on the boIom of this screen is

seen as one set. Again I incorporated the colors
of the ag which is based on the historical
background of Iran. I used images and and other
forms of calligraphy in dierent languages from
magazines to contrast with the Iranian
calligraphy. I used black ink to show the smooth
curves found in Iranian calligraphy and gave it a
dominance as it is a dark color and draws
aIen.on to the wri.ng. I repeated this without
dipping the sponge back into the ink so you
could see the streaks and textures that comes
with using the brush. I also created small
oblique forms, that were inspired by the henna
Shirin Neshat used in her pieces. Again I used
repeated forms crea.ng a harmony between
the three pieces.

A2

I used the skills I took from using cardboard in

the 3D unit to cut out the poem using stencil
paper. I used the repe..on of the word to
create a mo.f. I used a hot glue gun and wire
on the insides to hold it up. To relate to the
stencil and its meaning I placed a lamp inside
the box so light would come out of the stencil
but only through the leIer forms. I painted it
black so the box could contrast against the
bright light. The reple.on of the cut out forms
gives the model a con.nuous form and even
through it is ordered the poem is created so it
is not all repeated from the start and some
lines are cut o.

A2

A2

I used thick acrylic paint on a canvas to create a layered texture. I used the colors
associated with the Iranian ag in the order they are seen on the Iranian ag. I
incorporated green for Islam, white for peace and red for war and had the green and red
overpower the white to stand for a poli.cal message as Iran is seen as a corrupt country
that does not have a lot of peace. In the center I placed the poem which compliments the
white as the poem is a symbol for light. I used dye to seep through the creases and show
the deni.ons of the texture created by the acrylic. Throughout Iranian history the center
of the ag has always been changed, due to poli.cal and religious reasons, now its a
symbol for what the country stands for, so by replacing the image in the center of the ag
with the poem I created a poli.cal message for peace and hope.

I incorporated dye of mul.ple colors in this piece and

placed the calligraphy in the middle. By placing the
calligraphy in the center and it being white creates a
dominance and draws your eyes to the poem.
Controlling the dye to make it fall in a con.nuous
straight line was a challenge, this was to not let the
colors mix too much and create a grey. Controlling the
dye to fall ver.cally created a paIern of linear forms
within the background.

For this piece I wanted to concentrate

on the form of the leIering and
exaggerate the curves in Iranian
calligraphy. Using clay was hard to
control and since I was working with a
circular form I had to constantly think
about the en.rety of the shape. I used a
technique called coiling for the
elongated piece so it would be rounded.
For the larger piece I had to hollow out
the insides with a hollow loop tool and
a_er it went bone dry I smoothened it
out with sand paper s.ll remembering
to look at it as a whole so it was evenly
curved. The meaning behind this was to
take the literal meaning of the broken
language and create separated
broken forms of shapes seen in the
poem. Then I repeated the poem by
drawing on it by hand. This piece
involved dominance as the large piece
has a hierarchy and the forms all ow
ver.cally.

A2