نشریه هنرهای زیبا - هنرهای تجسمی
سال شانزدهم شماره 4 (پیاپی 48، زمستان 1390)

In this article, creative and lateral thinking is used to elaborate certain artwork, which can be seen from all sides, but maintain a unified meaning and value. The significance of this subject leads toward research with emphasis on horizontality and with the aim of protecting and publicizing this concept. This is done through decoding the principles and symbols of Islamic Arts in order to arrive at the underlying concepts and goals. Many have elaborated how Islamic arts are abstract and they manifest themselves in compositions based on Islamic principles and spiritual concepts. However, this paper introduces lateral and horizontal thought through examples from different eras, places and ideologies, in order to highlight the necessity of the existence of such thought in Islamic arts, and to approach a proposition that such horizontality in Islamic arts is a result of a particular philosophy and world-view, which can be evaluated much like other, more familiar, principles of Islamic arts. The most important characteristic of horizontality in Islamic art is a parallel, distant vision from above in which phenomena become abstract and lose their morphological characteristics. From this point of view, things are converted to meanings and structures that become symbols of the real world. This process aims to lead the audience towards an understanding of Allah. By looking from above, multiple elements create one single image. This is similar to parallel vision without perspective. A Parallel representation of a subject demonstrates all aspects of the subject equally. Thus, this kind of vision shows the same value to all aspects of a subject, which is in agreement with the logic of horizontality and particularity. Vision from multiple places is plurality, which in the end leads to unity. Horizontal vision shows the elevation of the artist’s capabilities. In this scenario, the artist cooperates with the audience in creating the art. In this paper vertical vision is defined as a perspectival vision belonging to someone who is standing on the ground plane looking at the subject. Inevitably some aspects of the subject become hidden behind other aspects. Thus, horizontal vision, which becomes possible through the ascent of the artist in order to achieve parallel vision without perspective, allows him to become wise, holy and nearer to the vision of the divine creator. This research points towards an important issue that horizontal thought can be identified in many different eras of Islamic art, made possible through an abstract eye from above and its reflection in geometry. Through this accurate, distant vision from above, the artist and his audience observe divine creations and their interpretations are representations of a symbolic world. This paper argues that horizontality, as a principle of Islamic art, has been the inspiration for many artworks. Thus, horizontality is an indicator, a director, protector and a reference for the evolution and modification of styles. As a standard, horizontality controls the quality and quantity of artworks and, as a criterion, it allows one to distinguish between the characteristics of Islamic arts and those of other artworks.

Painting is one of artistic fields having on its top rank the name of Iranan artisti. It’s an art wich over time has managed to set up the way for drawing beauty and to rise over the imagination wings of painter from formal bueauty toward a world and affairs beyond what is tangible whith it’s five senses. The world is the one which Shikh Shahab ad – Din, sohrawardi(580-549) as the first illuminational(or Eshraq) philosopher and as founder of its ontological, whilst admitting it’s existence, tried to proof it by proposing some rational and traditional evidences and mystic intuition, and all of islomic sages have turned to the discussion, expanded it and the discussion it and the Persian spirit has fulfilled from the source. Iranain paniter, such a illuminational sage, by entering to the illumination realm and following the concept of discrete space (ideal realm or mundus imaginalis) has managed to transform the two dimensional painting into a picture of universe hierarchy and sublimate the viewer from the material being, ordinary life and daily conscience to a more sublime rank, and turn him/his to a world beyond the material world with its own special time, place and forms and events taking place in a non – material manner. While if he/she is unaware purgatorial imagination of the world has been unable to explain meanings of the symbols and unlock secret codes and meaning, and been unable to reach the truth and inevitabily, all symbols and codes to a series of metaphors or tropes limit on turn. Existence of mundus imaginalis provides this opportunity for artist painter to make up with amazing imagery, beauty and amazing creatures, and to express facts about the nature beyond. Manifestation of the beauty and brightness, and display the artist's existence, supreme light (Nooral anvar). In fact, in degree or manifestation of light and natural beauty is result of divine beuty self- manifestation (Nooral anvar) that Persian painting trends of the high ground beyond the materialistic trends of, it is made. This painting seeks to express the deep symbolic meanings and the fact that the inner and divine will, and reflection of spirituality by it to show of spirituality and inttelectuality of civilization through the territory in which the loom. This reaserch aims to explain The nature of the light universe from the view point of sohrawardi, in accordance with the teachings of islam and the Quran and Islamic Art to investigate some of Persian images and analysis of aesthetic and symbology of evident expressions of the light and imagination symbol in them including golden color, ornamental, flame, light aura concluded that the Persian painting is a scence to exhibit and represent the divine imagination universe. Absence of light - bright, uniform lighting and,especially, night lighting in the motif(image) and the presence of Halh explained in light of the luminous splendor " Farrahe Kayani" has proven author's claim. Way of contents, descriptive, analytical and material resources, and pictures of the library is compiled.

Muraqqa Golshan is one of the famous masterpieces manuscripts which is made and illustrated during Jahangir Shah’s reign in India (century 11 Ah). One of the importances of this Muraqqa is about art historic studies of Iranian and Indian paintings at the time of Safaivid and Mugals when Iranian art and culture was noticeable for mugal kings. Furthermore, This is a collection in various types of paintings and calligraphys which is one of the best collections of renowned Iranian and Indian painters and calligraphers such as Bihzad, Abd-al- Samad, Mir Seid Ali, Sultan Ali Mashhadi and Bishindas. Among these painters, Aqa Riza is one of the painters who like some other elites of Iranian society had immigrated to India at the time of Safaivid and started to work for the young Emperor Jahangir when he was as a prince. Little is known of the family background of this painter beyond Jahangir’s reference to him as “Aqa Riza al Heravi”. It is evident from the artist’s signature that most of his works of art was illustrated at the time of Jahangir’s princedom (he called Shah Salim).By the order of Shah Salim, painters practiced and made adaptations from European engravings which most of them had include of Christianity context so Aqa Riza used to apply hem in his paintings too. During these years Jahangir’s taste had been changed a lot. He was fascinated by these topics such as his father Akbar Shah. During these years and years later Indian paintings had confronted with a lot of changes. European realism and aesthetics, shadows, lights had been become to Indian paintings. In this reason Aqa Riza was studying and practice European paintings, engravings and western techniques too. Then elements drawn from European sources, as well as those taken from earlier Mugal painting are placed in his Iranian compositional frame work which is shown in paintings borders. However he remained faithful to Persian aesthetics. The Iranian aspect of his style is clearly evident in some of illustrations which will be introduced in this paper. The main focus of this article is on salim Shah’s studio within his few years of princedom and will be shown Aqa riza’s family background, artistic career, his style, technique and introduce his works of art. The main sources of this artist’s works of art are some isolated pages from Golshan album and illustrations from Anvar-e-Sohaily which is held in British library, but in this article are proceeded to the Golshan Muraqqa. To reach this purpose the author will try to analyze different names of the painter which is came on his signature and also will described about his artistic environment. In addition at the end of the article all of the paintings in that album will be introduced. In this case the author has tried to research among the original sources such as Golshan Muraqqa in Golestan Palace manuscript library and other source books. The way of this research is descriptive and analytical.

Byzantine iconography, due to the theoretical content ruling on it, has provided a close and fundamental link with Christian theology and the resolutions ruling on it, especially the most fundamental ones, namely incarnation of word in the form of picture. However, this artistic form has been able to show a good reflection of many aspects of the social life and even the popular beliefs of its society. Witness of this affair, is clear cognitive style changes that this artistic form has been developed through nearly a thousand years of its life. This shows the possibility of examination of this artistic form, in terms of cognitive styles in different periods and topics. Hence, the writer, based on the historical course of Byzantine civilization, has counted four fundamental periods for the life of this artistic form in the lap of Byzantine Empire: the first golden age, iconoclasm hypocrisy, the second golden age, the third golden age. The first golden age of Byzantine art has begun with the throne of Emperor Justiniane1 (525-567). The man that has increased the wealth and territory of the empire to its highest level in the history of Eastern Roman Empire and has provided a promotional setting for arts including iconography. Nevertheless, and despite of the specific brilliance of Byzantine art in this era, few icons have survived. That is because of the famous event of iconoclasm hypocrisy (726-843); a hundred years old period, during which most of the left icons of the first golden age, have been burned in the anger of iconoclasts or have been destroyed or disappeared in many ways. With the evening of iconoclasm hypocrisy era, and the throne of the first king of Macedonians, the second golden age of Byzantine art has begun (867-1204); a period during that two important and fundamental styles in iconography, have blossomed: Macedonians style and Comnene. Although two styles are both the product of a relatively stable and continuous period, but both show different traits and characteristics. The era that had ended with the invasion of Crusader brigades and the occupation of Constantinople in 1204. Short interval of capital occupation that had come to end with the dominance of Byzantine army on Crusaders in 1261, has built up its apparent impact on the art of iconography in the third golden age of Byzantine art (1261-1453). The era that has begun with the renowned throne of the Komnenian emperors at the Constantinople in 1261. This period that slightly has lasted less than two centuries, was the witness of a unique style in iconography that should be considered as a renaissance in Byzantine iconography. The era that apparently had ended with the invasion of Ottoman Turks to the emperor capital and occupation of it in 1453; in practice, has provided a sustainable and promotional setting of this artistic form in Russia and many Eastern European countries for nearly four centuries and has left its clear and decisive impact on the art of Renaissance Italy.

The Sepah-Salar complex, including the mosque and the school, has a set of Qajar era architectural art including tile-work, painting, inscription, stucco, woodwork and carpentry. The complex was made and endowed by Hossein Khan, known as Sepah-Salar (1241-1298 A.H/ 1825- 1882 A.D). He employed the best and the most famous artists and architectures of his era using his own asset. The inscriptions of the complex, along with the colorful tile-work, present not only a religious and historical content but a glorious flash done by the famous calligraphers like Mirza Gholam Reza Esfahani. Although other scripts such as Thuluth and angular Kufic are used in the complex, but the most used script is the Nastaliq, the main script style of the Qajar era. Often, the inscriptions have written using white color on a cobalt background. Sometimes, they are augmented with plant motifs specially yellow, red and turquoise floral ornaments.The complex has been maintained at each era by the era’s experts. The most recent expert who maintained the complex is Hossein Lorzadeh that his name is registered on the complex walls. The inscriptions are important, because they have documented the building activities of the complex. In addition to mentioning the date of the activities, they have the name of the most architects, calligraphers, tile makers, and carvers. It has the name of the politicians and military famous people. In summary, in each era, the experts of the time have a role in the maintenance and conservation of the complex. As the artists mentioned in the inscriptions have a major role in creation of the most artistic and architectural works of that era, the study of Sepah-Salar complex is useful in the comparative study of the Iranian art and architecture of the contemporary era (from the Qajar up to now). Most inscriptions are in the south part of the complex. It is where the great rotunda and two school halls are located too. The reason of this concentration is that most often especially in the summer people and prayers are gathered in the south part. For this reason, it is used as the summer praying hall house. An important characteristic of the complex inscriptions is the use of Kufic inscriptions for Persian writings. It is very rare in the Islamic buildings. It should be noted that there is a couplet of a Persian poem on top of the entrance door written in the Kufic inscription. This poem is in fact the slogan of the education ministry and schools. This is the poem: The savant person is powerful With the knowledge, the old mind is young The theme of the most inscriptions has a direct relation with the complex usage (mosque and school). It includes some verses, traditions and Allah names related to the praying, worship, and mosque maintenance. In addition, it presents knowledge and book. This research was done in both the field and the library. Of course, the research is based on the field investigations. That is, the complex was visited several times and photos were taken from different parts of it specially the inscriptions. Then, the inscriptions were read.

This essay, as its title signifies, deals with the relationship between two terms and fields in Qajar age: on one hand, the term “constitutionalism” which often used in the field of contemporary “politics” of Iran, and the field of “aesthetics” on the other hand.“aesthetics”, in Kant 's view, means a system of a priori forms which defines what would expose itself to sensible experience.In our method, “aesthetics”, in its broad sense, refers to the distribution of the sensible that determines a mode of articulation between forms of action, production, perception, and thought. This general definition extends aesthetics beyond the strict realm of art to include the conceptual coordinates and modes of visibility operative in the political domain. These a priori forms are not anymore the condition of truth and legitimacy of statements (in Kantian way). But they are historical conditions that make some formations visible. In other words, these a priori forms denote the relation between saying, listening, and seeing, and determine what is visible and what is invisible in a certain period. There is thus an ‘aesthetics’ at the core of politics.“aesthetic constitutionalism” is an aesthetic revolution which occur in Qajar age before political constitutionalism, through pictorial practices that perform by photos and images. It ruptures the relation of King-form with the tradition, and exposes a new definition of the relationship between the visible and the stateable, sayable and seeable. We follow philosophical insights which Michel Foucault and Jacque Ranciere introduce to historiography. They provide theoretical framework to think politics as a priori condition for aesthetic experience. Especially “Politics of Aesthetics: the distribution of the sensible” by Ranciere and “Archeology of Knowledge” by Foucault are our basic resources. From this point of view, we can survey the entry of photography to Iran and conversions it afford as political practices. Photographes, by their pictorial practices, multiplies the body of king and thus undo his oneness and originality. On the other hand, camera' s eyes are indifference to reign's hierarchy, unlike painter-tradition' s eyes which read the relation between the king and his around as relation of the head and body, and try to paint him as an original and disembodied. By the pictorial practices we refer to that kinds of acts that images perform.How do images act?They say nothing, but they do something. In other words, if these images do something, they do that not through what they say or represent. Photography multiplied and reproduces the king's body, and allows no difference between his body and the things around. This is a kind of aesthetic equality which photography performs for the first time, and thus challenges the relationship between the king and tradition based on his divinity and excellency. We call these pictorial practices“aesthetic constitutionalism”since they faced the king with limits of his power, hence he discovers that “my” power is limited and it is conditioned with“the other”. Thus the aesthetic constitutionalism had happened before what historiographies called “constitutionalist revolution”, and plays a mediator role for it, and you might say, predicates it.

The usage of Ceramic Composites in order to improve the workability and properties of clay already has past a long history behind. In spite of the fact that clay by its own is a flexible and appropriate material for sculpting and ceramic making, it also carries some problems, flaws and imperfections (such as cracking, heaviness and etc.) which make it somehow troublesome to work with. From the old-times it was common to add diversity of organic and mineral additives such as straw, cattail, wool of goat, ash, grog and etc. to improve the clay’s properties which are still on their way regarding the technological and scientific promotion beside the invention and discovery of new materials such as fiberglass, nylon and cellulose fibers. In this essay in addition to review of the background of the using additives to improve clay, some of the most common additives and their effect on the enhancement of ceramics properties have been surveyed. Common additives can be categorized by several different factors. For instance by their shape; as fibers or granules, or by their source; natural or synthetic and also by their usage; as flux, colorant and etc. The close study and observing of cellulose fibers (pulp) as an additive to clay is consisting the main part of this essay. Cellulose has a natural source in the shape of hollow tubes called fiber. Because of its structure, it can easily absorb and convey water through itself. Cellulose usually is obtained from most of trees and some other plants. Cellulose fibers due to their physical and chemical structure and properties improve variety of clay body’s properties. Among those we can mention the noticeable weight loss, enhancing the green stage strength, decreasing cracks and breakage of bodies, beside some other properties which have been considered in this essay.The process of pulp making and preparing Paper Clay beside the historical contents, properties, formulation, techniques, abilities and usage of this composite (Paper Clay) with emphasis on it’s artistic workability have been under meticulous observation. Finally some technical and scientific examinations have been accomplished to determine special characterization of paper clay such as green and fired stages strength, porosity and water absorption, density, thermal shock tolerability and shrinkage of clay bodies. The case studies prepared in different amount of pulp volumes in clay bodies from 10% up to 200% which was the maximum amount of pulp possible to add to clay slip. Finally, the result of scientific examinations reveled that existence of cellulose fiber in ceramic bodies in all percentages improves the green stage strength. Furthermore it has a great effect on reduction of the weight of bodies booth in the green and fired stages. It also proved that after firing, porosity and water absorption of bodies will noticeably increases which mean a better acceptance of glazes. The strength of bodies according to the results is reduced by increasing of pulp in them. However this reduction in comparison is also acceptable and will not be a problem especially in the field of artistic ceramics.

In recent years, fashion has been introduced as a prominent taste which is imposed by owners of this industry to the society. Recently change of consumption patterns have been increased rapidly, while changes in fashion industry has also changed industries and economies of these countries as well. Through changes in global relationships and structures, omitting industrial concentrated production style, presence of multi-national companies, sophisticated conditions of competition in the world and generation of new methods for capturing the market, developing countries are in deep challenge in the field of fashion Industry; a lot of their economic resources would be used for cultural behavior of their middle class in order to access global brands and fast fashion systems. In contrast and in continuum of these changes in economic and trade relationships, those countries have tried to change patterns of consumption and entering the competition through foreign investments; however these countries do not have the potential to compete with this phenomenon through industrial Production-consumption cycle. This research does not aim adapt those mentioned methods with the conditions of developing countries, but some common conditions and real situations are considered in which the potential for competition with other countries is restricted and fashion in these countries are under dominance of brands. That is why this research tries to investigate the reasons for generation of current situation in its historical context and study past activities in the related domain. The result of such a study would be in the shape of recognition of design strategies for those countries, possibilities of participation in those industries and present resultant strategies for limited competition in the domain of fashion design.The result of this investigation shows that by entering the Globalization and Post-Industrial era and by importance of personality which generates a system together with presence of sub-cultures, the need to personal expression and taste has been increased rapidly and current industries cannot fulfill such a need for all the people in the world. As a virtue, such a change would enable developing countries to design production systems without a need to shape industrial infrastructures and they can develop their production plans based on domestic industries and through support of small and creative work stations. In the design phase, approaches like participatory design and increasing role of consumer in design and production of fashion, would let them involve more in design process and would also increase their skills and knowledge. The needs of customers, such as differentiation and eye-catching design would also be involved to the product and new roles for the designer would be shaped; roles such as facilitator, generator and assistant of design process for idealization of personal aims. This would result toward a specific fashion style, which can be named as Slow Fashion and can generate a dynamic economic organization which could compete with increasingly speedy current fashion system (namely Fast Fashion), which tries to fulfill the market based on ready and unified style design.