amirhossein pormehr yabandeh

Grotesque is an artistic and literary form that has appeared in contemporary art, having a history as long as the 16th century. According to Mikhail Bakhtin, a 20th-century literary theorist, a critical approach is formed in the official space of society, which is connected with the values and ways of human social behavior in the contemporary world, and literary, visual, and cultural studies can provide the basis for planning and understanding the dimensions of artistic life. Bakhtin’s perspective regarding the Carnival of the Middle Ages led to the creation of a humorous culture within an informal domain. In the history of literature and art, as well as in cultural and social situations, classical laws, standards, and proportions have always contrasted with the grotesque, and any pre-determined conceptual frameworks are abandoned. This critical attitude develops in the formal space of the community, which is related to free emancipation and the formation of a new personality. Also, the grotesque attitude motivates community members to engage in social debate and discuss issues of form and identity change. Grotesque represents conflict, fear, exaggeration, laughter, change, or confusion in the creation of artistic or literary work. The new approach toward social life can be portrayed as a way that everything overpowering, dry, and serious is overturned and mocked to adapt to the surroundings and people. The concept of a grotesque body proposed by Mikhail Bakhtin serves as the theoretical foundation for this study. In a grotesque body, inconsistency, and ambiguity are caused by the reflection of abnormal things in the body and face, resulting in the abandonment of established standards in the representation of the body and face and deform them into something weird yet familiar. The current research began by asking how the visual characteristics of the grotesque body appeared in Iranian theater and movie posters in the 1390s. What are the concepts expressed by the reflection of the grotesque body in 1390s Iranian theatrical and movie posters? The current research aims to analyze the visual features of Iranian theater and movie posters of the 1390s and grotesque features, to convey a novel definition and concept to provide a deep communication with the audience. The descriptive research method includes content analysis and library information collecting methods, through note-taking and image reading. The data analysis method has been qualitative and sampling has been goal-oriented. The results of this research suggest that the idea of grotesque in modern Iranian cultural posters refers to the illustration of a human being in connection with nature and an inverted life, expressing an ambiguous element. Also, it covers human disturbances, transformations, and phobias, which have found a critical and societal function. Individual life experiences in the world, combined with an aesthetic model influenced by Bakhtin's viewpoint, have resulted in the construction of an indeterminate border in the works, which creates the distinguishing element of the grotesque in Iranian theater and film posters in the 1390s.

Video games are among the widely demanded cultural and artistic products in various human communities. Hence, the development, transfer, and representation of cultural values have directed attention to this industry (Khaniki and Barekat, 2016, 99). Video games encompass traces of a nation’s culture and arts as well, since game developers design games relying on the culture and thoughts of the community they come from, and develop their products accordingly. One could point out several contemporary video games that contain elements and hints of Iranian art as well as traces of Islamic thought. After Islam was introduced to Iran, Islamic culture and thought integrated with the Iranian civilization and culture, bringing about a new era of culture and arts in the country also known as the Iranian-Islamic art. Islamic art is defined as an absolute and abstract form of art whose characterizing features include abstract designs, rich decorations, and the prohibition of illustrating animal and human forms (Enayat, 2008, 33). The Islamic artist seeks to bridge the natural world and existential world, illustrating the invisible universe by transforming the material logic of nature (ibid). This purpose is practiced through symbols and signs in the works of Iranian-Islamic artists that contain symbolic and mystical concepts. Iranian-Islamic art brims with abstract and mystical symbols, the awareness of whose intellectual and spiritual foundations informs the audience of ancient arts (Nazarizadeh and Mashhadi Haji Ali, 2015, 1). This practice is reflected contemporarily in various works of art, especially in restoration practices. For instance, game developers are inspired by Iranian-Islamic works of art, based on which they design the game space and offer valuable works. The reconstruction of the space in contemporary Iranian movies equals relying on the significance and presence of a human as the player in the position of value patterns that appear alongside each other through various characters depending on the game. In the case of the game “The Cat and the Coup,” the two characters of “Cat” and “Dr. Mosaddegh” have been developed in this regard. The significant point regarding the game “The Cat and the Coup” is that the game designer has been inspired by Iranian painting art. Moreover, the game encompasses special symbols and signs that encourage the audience to contemplate. This game starts in the final days of Dr. Mosaddegh’s life in Ahmad Abad, and rewinds to various times in the past, up until the Iranian coup on August 19th, 1953. The games start with the death of Dr. Mosaddegh and delve into his past as his spirit goes through the pages of history. Each segment of the game includes the historical events of its time, and new characters are beautifully introduced into the gameplay. The strength of the fame would be the use of metaphorical images demonstrating the emergence and fall of Mosaddeq in 1953. The main character in this game is Dr. Mosaddegh’s cat, which heavily affects his decisions while going through the stages of the game (URL1). The present article is concerned with an analysis of the various geometrical, composite, and natural symbolic elements used in “The Cat and the Coup” gameplay that facilitate the understanding of the symbols used in the game.

The present work seeks to explore the Iranian-Islamic symbols in the design of “The Cat and the Coup” video game as a means of visual expression in Iranian game development and analyze the concepts incorporated in each of the symbols.Research questions: The present works seek to respond to the questions of what are the symbols used in “The Cat and the Coup” video game. And what concepts does each of the symbols carry?

Given the imagery and contents of “The Cat and the Coup” video game, various symbolic elements such as geometrical, composite, and natural elements go through an evolutionary process while pointing to realities beyond the apparent scope of the game. In this regard, the reflection of emotional expressions in the behavior of the main characters in the game, the induction of the power of animals and humans, the destruction of evil forces, the war between good and evil, and the struggle between darkness and light are among the results unveiled in the present work. Islamic symbols have been incorporated into the geometrical symbols used in the game. These symbols used to be incorporated due to the prohibition of demonstrating animal and human figures, some of which can be found in a segment of “The Cat and the Coup” video game on the oil barrels to decorate them and demonstrate their significance for Dr. Mosaddegh and the Iranian nation. The square is another one of the geometrical symbols used in the game, exuding a sense of death and an opposing circle, which is a symbol of immortality and life. This symbol has been used at the beginning of the game in a square-shaped frame, symbolizing the death of Dr. Mosaddegh. The second set of composite symbols includes the dragon symbol. This element harbors a notion of evil and darkness, destroying things in its path and counting as a threat against the victory of good and the emergence of favorable events, and has been used beside the oil barrels and inside the frame within the space where Dr. Mosaddegh resides. The angel symbol demonstrates the invisible forces sent down from God to protect Dr. Mosaddegh in the court. The symbol of a human with a pig head appears to be inspired by the Animal Farm novel whose main character was a pig bringing misery to other animals. This symbol is depicted on the king’s body and emphasizes the aforementioned notion. The natural symbols include animal and human symbols, the former comprising the cat character that causes several events throughout the game that could the enemy countries complicating Dr. Mosadegh’s works or the country of Iran since Iran’s map resembles a cat. The dark silhouettes of humans in the background also symbolize evil people who put pressure on Dr. Mosaddegh throughout his decision-making, contrasting Mosaddeq himself, who has been illustrated in a white robe signifying his honesty and purity.

Posters of the Art of Resistance Festival are one of the fields of formation of symbols and signs affected by the Islamic Revolution. The juxtaposition of the two factors, "image" and "text", is important in the design of these announcements. Symbolic relations appear in the design of the mentioned announcements in two ways: the axis of paradigmatic and the axis of syntagmatic. In the axis of paradigmatic, one element replaces another element. In the axis of syntagmatic, two or more elements are placed next to each other these relationships in some posters implicitly and in others explicitly convey the desired concept to the audience. In this research, the structural relations of signs in the posters of the resistance art festival will be identified.Emamifar, Sajoudi, and Khazaei (2010) in an article entitled "Semiological examination of announcements from the emergence of the Islamic Revolution of Iran until 2001" investigated how meaning is produced in the design of posters from the IslamicRevolution of Iran until 2001. In an article entitled "The Art of the Islamic Revolution", Rahnavard (2000) investigated and analyzed the Islamic Revolution of Iran in 1979 and its influence and expression on the culture and art of Iran. Talebi (2017) in his article entitled "Reflection of Islamic components and values ​​in the art of resistance" examined the posters of the first decade of the Islamic Revolution of Iran.This research aims to investigate the paradigmatic and syntagmatic axes of signs structurally and the types of relationships related to them in some posters of the resistance art festival, as well as analyzing the explicit and implicit meanings of visual and written signs in them. Accordingly the two following questions will be investigated:Based on what relationships do visual and written signs in the posters of the resistance art festival form the meaning transfer process?
What roles do these relationships play in the meaning of the poster?

The research method is descriptive-analytical. Collection of library and documentary information was through note-taking and image reading. Data analysis is qualitative. Statistical population is a collection of posters from the 5th Resistance Art Festival that was held in 2018. The sampling method is selective

The semiotic relationships in the resistance posters can be classified into two axes syntagmatic and paradigmatic signs. In the analysis based on the paradigmatic axis, relationships are based on 3 factors, which are: contrasting relationships, analogical relationships, and comparative relationships.

The poster "We come from the grandson of Abel of the Sun, who stand against the Cain of Darkness", is placed in the category of contrasting relationships. This relationship means the difference between the elements in the work in terms of position, orientation, and attraction of the elements to each other. This poster conveys to the audience the concept of good and evil in the confrontation between Iran and its enemies. The poster "I am a revolutionary" belongs to the category of analogical relations. Analogical relations compare the relationship between the elements in the text or narrate the artwork that in this announcement, due to the replacement of the fisted hands form on parts of the letters, an analogical connection arises in the mind. In the poster "The ax was from our family, we didn't know", comparative relations are strengthened due to the relations of paradigmatic of the ax instead of one of the branches of the tree and also the existence of conflict between the two. In the analysis based on the syntagmatic axis, relationships are divided into three categories: spatial relationships, sequential relationships, and conceptual relationships. The "Happy the 40th Spring of the Revolution" poster is placed in the axis of syntagmatic signs due to the juxtaposition of visual elements, and due to the placement of different components and elements in the image, it is placed in the category of spatial relations in the axis of spatial syntagmatic of signs, because spatial relationships mean the placement of the components and elements of the work in different axes of the image. The "Unity is the Code of Victory" poster is also placed in the axis of syntagmatic due to the juxtaposition of different components of the image in the poster, and according to the definition of sequential relationships, due to the placement of elements based on the alternation of the theme of the work and the creation of meaningful relationships with each other, it is in the category of sequential relationships. The poster "Iranian lion spills the blood of every hyena of disbelief", due to the juxtaposition of two images of lion and hyena, as well as the way the elements are placed and their proximity and the type of reading, is placed in the category of conceptual relations in the axis of syntagmatic of signs; conceptual relationships mean the reading of images and elements in them as well as the type of their relationship with each other. In all the works, when a visual sign metaphorically expresses the concept of revolution and Iran, understanding the meaning of the sign occurs on the axis of paradigmatic.

Producing series is part of the common media activities. Home video series are introduced by written signs. The typography of the titles of these series consists of symbolic relationships which influence the transfer of meaning. These relationships are categorized as “referential” and “non-referential” signs. The present research aims to analyze the referential and non-referential signs in the two syntagmatic and paradigmatic categorizations in the typography of the Iranian home video series. The method is descriptive-analytical and the data collection method is library analysis (note-taking and Image reading). The research suggests that there is a close relationship between the text’s meaning transfer with its form and content. Typographies are partly included in the referential signs due to the use of specific symbols and their direct reference to the natural world as well as the series’ content, such as The Monster, Frog, and Rhino in which the text refers to the natural world and also the series’ content. Others like Dracula, Yaghi, and Mortal Wound are included in non-referential signs due to containing symbolic concepts which require more contemplation to perceive the meaning. The interaction between referential and non-referential signs in the typography of series can be analyzed and plays a central role in characterizing the text, the series’ title and transferring its meaning. Also, these are categorized into syntagmatic and paradigmatic categories considering the typography of symbol and text

In addition to aesthetic features, works of art also reflect the socio-cultural relations of the producing context. In Gilan, many holy shrines accommodate murals that belong to the Safavid period. On the other side, Karkia Shahnameh was written in the 15th century AD in the city of Lahijan. This Shahnameh is illustrated in the style of Turkmen painting in Shiraz. This paper as the descriptive-analytical study queries the similarities and differences between the designs of Karkia Shahnameh and the murals of the holy shrines. The data collection method is based on library review, and data analysis was conducted qualitatively. The research findings show that there are some distinctive similarities between mural paintings of the studied holy shrines and portrays of the Karkia Shahnameh, so that the semiotic spaces of Shiite culture is a part of it. Both paintings have common symbolic motifs such as dragon, sun, crown and cypress tree. The motif of the sun is used in the same sense in both paintings, but the role of the dragon has a completely opposite meaning. The motif of the crown in both paintings also means kingship, power, and celestial splendor. The cypress tree also has common meanings, all of which are rooted in Iranian cultural beliefs. Although those mentioned signs almost rooted in the Iranian culture, the unique representation of the symbols in each specific artistic work (murals or book illustration) convey distinguishable meanings due to the relations with other signs within the executed context.

Due to the restriction of metal utensils throughout the Islamic period, pottery was a substitute, with many designs and inscriptions depicting religious and educational themes. Among the most notable potteries of Iran's Islamic period is the pottery of Nishapur from the Samanid dynasty. The designs and inscriptions on these potteries have passed on cultural and aesthetic knowledge from one generation to the next. According to intertextuality theory, no text is formed arbitrarily or without context but is dependent on previous texts or contents. The Islamic typographic technique has had a significant impact on contemporary Iranian typography. This research aims to examine contemporary Iranian logotypes through the lens of their Islamic connotations in Nishapur potteries. Another goal of this study is to look at the intertextuality types between these works (Travestissement and Pastiche). The research issue is the relationship between contemporary Iranian logotypes and Islamic typography. According to the studied works, the research hypothesis is based on the fact that due to the written form, there are many similarities between the two areas. This study is descriptive-analytical in terms of methodology. The data collection method is based on library review (i.e., note-taking and image analysis) and data analysis was done qualitatively. The findings indicate that, in terms of similarity between Persian and Arabic written forms, the effects of Islamic art can be seen in contemporary Iranian logotypes. In other words, Islamic calligraphy has influenced contemporary Iranian typography. In many cases, the use of shapes and forms used in the typography of Nishapur potteries, such as plant forms can be seen in contemporary Iranian logotypes. Selected specimens in Neishapur potteries are written in Kufic script and case specimens are inspired by Kufic script. According to Genette’s intertextuality theory, all logotypes fall into the category of Pastiche intertextuality due to features such as changes in form, content, and the addition of new text.