نشریه هنرهای زیبا - هنرهای تجسمی
سال بیستم شماره 3 (پیاپی 63، پاییز 1394)

The Term Kitsch refers to repetitive, mimetic and accessible works that accompanies with features such as repetition of the familiar, diversity and imitation, the use of false emotions rather than reason, and having no idea. Nowadays the definitions of Kitsch are used in various artistic, literary, political and cultural fields, and there are various approaches and multiplicity of ideas against it thus. The emergence of the term Kitsch, as an adjective refers to the weak art work with no aesthetics standards, has been developed over the years and penetrated into the most serious debates of art during the last century. Where creativity and new ideas have no place to attract attentions, Kitsch shows its influence and power so that the quantity is placed in the first row. This phenomenon, with little change in the surface, represents things that have been seen before and mainly reflects the art work that use the common vulgar or too well-known signs to attract the audience instantaneously. In other words, Kitsch tries to attract the audience in a straight and friendly way, and so it replaces comfort and sentimentalism instead of expressions of the humanistic rich concept or human deep meanings. In fact, when art expresses no message and focuses only on its general aspect is named Kitsch. Kitsch's influence is so inclusive that as if it doesnt exist, and it takes its influence and prevalence from this aspect. Kitsch has been emerged against the phenomenon of the avant-garde and is equivalent with characteristics such as machinism, urbanization, consumer society and mass plurality. So far, critics, authors and theorists such as "Milan Kundera", "Clement Greenberg," "Pierre Bourdieu," "Hermann Broch," "John Fisher and etc. have defined and expanded this term. "Visual communication" includes a broad field; and different types of its products in the forms of poster, book cover, billboard, logo, layout and etc. interact with the audience. In fact, Kitsch is present mostly in the public contexts of society. Kitsch's influence and expansion in visual communication and its effect on the audience and his visual literacy are the main factors that really confirm studying and perusing its discourse in the field of visual communication. The present research considers this phenomenon as the most important and influential process by criticizing of the spread and prevalence of Kitsch and its examples in the area of visual communication that is related to the public audience, so it requires studying and exploring. Because the epidemic influence of this phenomenon in the society is directly related to a decline of the public audience's visual taste and their lack of familiarity with the quality of pure aesthetics. This study benefits from a descriptive method and uses the library documents to investigate and illustrate Kitsch and its reflections in various fields of visual communication. The results show this phenomenon leads to the production of visual communication art works with features such as imitation, repetition, sense transference via repetition of familiar forms, reductive referring to the past and tradition, accumulation and explicit implication.

Noticing the pictorial background, culture and the past artistic conventions along innovation are the most important factors to attain grandeur and identity of contemporary art in each land. Exploring the impact of symbolic concepts in Iranian emblem design constitutes the main purpose of this study. Thus, the goal and the basic matter of this research is based on investigating the graphic design roots in Iran and the way of applying them regarding the symbolic meanings, especially in Tehran university logo. This survey has focused on analyzing symbolic meanings in the relevant logo beside its pictorial background in Sassanid period through a plaster plaque. While a passage between pictorial past and design renewal in an expertly process can bring into life a new chapter of motif in every culture, it can develop a new graphic visual identity. On this basis it appears predominant to use semiotic knowledge with ancient asset in designing contemporary emblems; the characteristics of this Sassanid plaster plaque in brief are: 1.Wing and feather in Sassanid art are symbols of the Bahram god (Mars), which Sassanid kings due to their need for expanding the power of their divine splendor needed the patronage of this god. Wing motif besides being a symbol of the Bahram god can be a symbol of mythical Simurgh (phoenix) and its significant role in Sassanid art. Moreover it is a symbol of bird and ascending to heaven. 2. Circle is a symbol of sun and its surrounding pearls being a symbol of harvest, are two of Mithra symbols frequently seen in Sassanid art. In addition it is supposed to have a relation with Anahita- the water goddess; Motifs being placed inside this circle can be a symbol of divine splendor which help the designer to gain the organizational points of the university. 3. The short Pahlavi inscription placed above this Sassanid seal which means excessive glory is similar to the way the word "Iran" is written. There is also an apparent resemblance between the word of Tehran University writing in the present logo and the plaster plaque. This study besides observing ancient Sassanid legacy in designing Tehran University logo can be also outstanding for studying the main stream of Iran contemporary graphic design. Since visual value and conventional and national motifs are considered as the continuity of cultural stability of every country, rupture of this historical artistic process, which in recent years in the world due to communication expansion has entered into a new era, eradicates small non original identities and spreads dominant cultures. Therefore, it is advisable to use the conventional and national pictorial elements to develop a graphic visual identity and to actualize the potential capacities in creating logos. Recognition of Iran’s artistic identity and constitutive elements of Persian art in authoring artistic books on logo design, also presenting Iranian culture to the art students and graphic designers altogether with directed training can be effective for this goal. The Style of data collection is compound and the method of writing is descriptive- analytic.

This article has tried to look at the prototype of serpent, in the art of ancient Iran and neighboring civilization (Mesopotamia, Egypt, India & Greece), since the beginning of these cultures to the first millennium B.C, by researching their myths and beliefs, and also looking at the motifs of their artifacts, by mean of shine a flash on relationship between these cultures, and perusing the inversion of symbols. The serpent or snake is one of the oldest and most widespread mythological symbols. Historically, they represent divine powers like fertility or creativity of life force, especially in the ancient east. As snakes shed their skin through sloughing, they are symbols of rebirth, transformation, immortality, and healing. Serpents also has represented as potent guardians of temples and other sacred spaces. They are connected with remedy and medicine. The serpent, when forming a ring with its tail in its mouth, is a clear symbol of the totality of existence, infinity and the cyclic nature of the cosmos. The Sumerian fertility deity, Ningizzida, is the oldest known image of two snakes coiling around an axial rod. Ningizzida was a god of healing and magic.In ancient Egypt Nehebkau was the two headed serpent deity who guarded the entrance to the underworld. He is the son of the snake goddess Renenutet. Wadjet, the Egyptian cobra, was the patron and protector of the country, all other deities, and the pharaohs. In Hindu mythology, Lord Vishnu sleeps while floating on the cosmic waters on the serpent Shesha. Naga is the Sanskrit word for a deity or class of entity or being. The Minoan Snake Goddess brandished a serpent in either hand, perhaps evoking her role as source of wisdom. The rod of Asclepius, a snake-entwined staff, remains a symbol of medicine today. Snakes are also sacred and powerful in prehistoric cultures of Iran. It seems that they have worshiped along with the fertility goddesses, from fourth to first millennium B.C. We can detect their presence as mighty patrons and source of life and immortality in the art of Tal-e Bakun, Choqamish, Sialk, Jiroft, Shahr-e Sukhteh, Shahdad, Elamite art, Luristan art, etc. However, it seems that symbolic concept of serpent has reversed in these cultures over time. In some Abrahamic traditions, the serpent represents sexual desire. In the Hebrew Bible, the serpent in the Garden of Eden lured Eve with the promise of forbidden knowledge. Aryan religions call the serpents diabolic too. Azhi Dahake (Zahhak) in the Shahnameh is an infernal creature with two snakes on his shoulders. In the Assyrian traditions, a mighty male god named Marduk overcomes the snakelike goddess Tiamat. In the new kingdom, Egyptians built a story about Apep, the monstrous serpent who lives at the underworld, and Ra has to fight with him every night until down. In historic Greece, Medusa and the other Gorgons were vicious female monsters with sharp fangs and hair of living. I believe that this replacement is due to the conversion of matriarchy into patriarchy, in these cultures.

Traditional calligraphy is known as one of the most valuable Islamic arts which always contains unknown parts. One of these parts is uncommon and unknown scripts of manuscripts. In Iran, given to the valuation of writing and manuscript as well as the presence of various art schools in different Islamic centuries, many manuscripts have been written and collected which now many of these works are keeping in general and private libraries as well as personal collections. The originality of these manuscripts is so worthwhile that should have specific place in visual studies, while, until now, manuscripts have been evaluated mostly according to their content and the majority of visual research and investigations have been only allocated to common scripts in manuscript and their layout. Therefore, visual features of unknown scripts have been ignored by these studies. On the other hand, manuscripts were not usually available and a few people except particular users were able to access them. Thus, not only the feature of manuscript but also its availability is concerned in this article, so according to the second criterion, among the existing libraries, eventually the library of Islamic Parliament was chosen. Observing more than 20000 manuscripts of library of Islamic Parliament, the author observed manuscript with uncommon and unknown script styles. Among the chosen manuscripts, finally the new, uncommon and unknown samples were selected. One of these manuscripts which is remarkable because of the new and different feature of script is one of Sharh-Al-Shafiye's manuscript which will be introduced and explained later on. This manuscript is chosen among more than 20000 manuscripts in library of Islamic Parliament due to the original and different feature of its script style. In this article, besides choosing and identifying a manuscript from Sharh-Al-Shafiye, the whole structure and visual features of its letterforms which relate to Naskh and Ruqah styles is considered. Also, an effort has been made to study the new and unique features of the script. The variety of script styles used in body text, margins and headlines of this manuscript shows different methods, and it is important because of its unique features which can help reaching a new look in type design and providing different contexts in this field of graphic design. In this article, at first, a general description of Sharh-Al-Shafiye's manuscript will be presented. Then by studying and analyzing the visual characteristics of letterforms, the intact style of script styles used in text, margin and titles are shown in order to identify and present the nearest styles to script in Sharh-Al-Shafiye's manuscript. As a result, it can be concluded that the influence of Naskh and Ruqah styles in the script styles used in Sharh-Al-Shafiye's text, and also the use of inscription structure, recreation in writing and decoration in the titles of script are the uncommon and unknown features of script in Sharh-Al-Shafiye's manuscript. The author hopes that the present research which is considered as the first step in identifying uncommon and unknown manuscripts help other researchers to do future research.

In medieval Islamic Persia, mina was known as a general term for enameling on metal, glass and ceramic. Consequently, in modern times mina’I is one of the most important types of Islamic ceramic production and identified by stone paste body and multicolored polychrome over-glazes which represent figural, geometric and floral designs as well as calligraphic perform. Additionally, mina’I wares are in some cases enlightened as gilded surface. The style can be found in numerous forms that include bowls, ewers, cups, beakers, jugs, inkstands and tiles. They are often referred to as “Haft-Rang”(seven-color) ceramics due to their polychromic character. The colors were red, brown, cobalt blue, green, black, white and gold. It was believed, until quite recently, that one of these seven colors, namely cobalt blue, was painted not over, but in the glaze, and all the others were painted over. It has been argued that their style and imagery are reflected from Islamic manuscript and wall paintings. Mina’I wares are very interesting to research not only in term of ceramic history, but in Islamic painting. Mina’I, indicates the relationship between pottery and calligraphy too. In addition in scripted ceramic with all their ability have an impact in good position for visual aesthetics as well as for conveying information. The dates and names written on it, is one of the most important documents that is also provided historical and authenticity background. Much of our current understanding of minai techniques, and of medieval Islamic ceramic technology in general, comes from the only known treatise was written in 1301A.D (700 A.H) by Abul’-Qasim Kashani, which is stated that the “seven-colored technology passed into oblivion” by the time of the treatise. The purpose of this study is to determine the chronology of mina’I wares that have been confirmed by the researchers or the famous museums. The results indicate that mina’I wares with dates were produced between 575 and 616 AH during the end of Seljuk and all of kharazmshahid period. Suggested production locals for mina’Iare Sava, Rayy and Kashan. While stylistic arguments have been developed the classification of objects to each of these sites but there is little archaeological evidence to support any of the claims. Results on Inscriptions on mina’I bowls point toward the city of Kashan, a leading ceramic center during this period, as their place of manufacture. Furthermore, according to the signature on pottery, the most famous potter in medieval Persia is Abu Zayd Kashani. His manuscript contains complete information includes the names and dates of works construction. Some mina’I signatures pointed also out four tasks such as, making the bowls, painting enamel, scribing and narrating verses. This procedures indict that, probably Master Abu Zayd Kashani has done his works without requiring the other artisans help or even in a specific and personal workshop and away from the other ceramists’ sight. The study focuses on literature review and observing the visual samples. The historical range of the sample and reading the inscriptions evaluate the descriptive-analytical methods.

With the advent of Modernism in the West and the spread of its indirect influences in Eastern countries, especially those of the Islamic lands, the art of these societies - at least in form and structure – inclined towards Western movements and schools, however retained and continued their local values and traditions in theme. Meanwhile, the arts of Palestine, especially in the field of painting went on presenting the values and concepts by making use of symbolism, an indispensable and fundamental essential in Islamic Art. These symbols which contain a wide range of things from objects, plants and animals to specific phenomena, are in some cases in conformity with the common themes and concepts, but sometimes come from the Palestinian artist's creativity and hence just belong to their own art. The reasons behind this matter have been the certain geography, political conditions and religious beliefs of the Palestinian. Here the motif of "cactus", beside other symbolic motifs, enjoys certain characteristics, dimensions, background and specific expressive capacities which make it worthy of note and attention. The Palestinian painter makes use of this image in a number of certain ways. According to this fact, there are some questions here to present as these: What are the main symbols that are applied by the Palestinian painter in his art? Art they represented alone and in combination with each other? What factors or events have had great influence on Islamic art in Palestine in recent decades? What are the symbolic concepts of "cactus motif" in the contemporary Palestinian painting and how this matter is expressed in the Israeli art? How is the way of representing this symbol in contemporary painting and to what extent is its originality? The results of the research express that cactus image from the time of the appearance of Israel has been present in Palestinian art as a motif and even more than that, as an evolving symbol. The Palestinian has regarded that as an embodiment of the withdrawal of national ownership and the confiscation of their possessions. But the significance of this plant has gradually been taken by the Israeli as a name given to this newborn child in Palestine that is in fact considered a kind of appropriation and seizing the traditions. By studying and observing the Palestinian paintings, we can also infer that other motifs, apart from the cactus, with specific connotations, are usually used in combination with related symbols in a group. Meanwhile there are some specific motifs which convey spiritual meanings. These motifs are somehow limited and devoted to the Palestinian artist with his certain ideology the examples of which are as follows: kefeyya, martyr, peasant, wedding, Jerusalem and, of course, cactus. All these motifs generally and basically convey humanistic and high values such as freedom, resistance, peace, hope, homeland, friendship, etc. This research is done in historical, descriptive and analytical method.

Advertising characters and commercial mascots such as Yum Yum, Cheetoz monkey, Safety-man and many others have made Memories of different generations of Iranian consumers for many years. They have many abilities to attract attention and create a nostalgic and friendly relationship with the consumer and have a great impact on the sales of products. Through a review of the relevant literature, This paper will determine the definition of the role and function of commercial mascots and outline character-driven advertising pros and cons and extend the stream of literature with principles and criteria that will help advertisers in the creation of advertising character in accordance with the historical, religious and cultural differences of audiences and will be able Advertising Agency to create lasting and efficient mascots. This research has been done by descriptive-analytical methods and the content analysis of Character-driven commercials and by viewing documents and sources and interpretation of the issue is dealt with. During researching was determined a promotional character is symbolic and cultural image, so it should reinforce visual symbols and stereotypical behaviors According to the values, tastes and culture of the audience, so the audience could decode message and understand implied concepts of ad character properly and receive the desired message. On the other hand, This paper also briefly document ad characters can appeared in human, animal, mythical and product personifications forms and Different Types of advertising character will be more successful for various promotional purposes. The Animal mascots can symbolize product attributes and express common hopes, aspirations and ideals because they are standard mythical symbols of human qualities. For example, everyone knows that a dove is peaceful, while human and mythical characters build consumer identification so about human and mythical character, The Cultural and Identity fit and congruence between trade character and Consumer culture and values is important so according to Iranian cultural areas, it is necessary to consider The identity of the ad character in form, conceptual and behavioral activation to Partly reduce the amount of imported and incongruous mascots with Iranian culture and help the audience to accept and understand desired and implied meanings and the behavioral stereotypes of character in the character-driven commercials and advertisings. The results showed that necessarily apparent compatible between mascot and Product Like choosing an image like cattle for dairy products is not effective in remembering brand by Consumer But to create a feeling or story about ad character in continuous, frequent and consistent advertising can be effective in succeeding. such research is necessary in this regard of the lack of Persian sources, Low and sparse Latin resources, continuous and broad use of these advertising elements and because interest in these character has evolved over time in Iran and because Most of ads owners deemed ad characters as promotional elements in place for inappropriate and ineffective elements which are more Suitable for inexpensive and childish products than for adult and serious ones.

The history of Iranian photography is not isolated from the other aspects of the history of this country. In spite of its noticeable importance of this history in understanding the developmental process and orientations of Iranian photography, it has been really neglected in the conducted studies, to date. Most of the existing documented studies include chronological historical records of the early decades and aesthetic-philosophical researches in the recent decades; and very few studies have dealt with the social and political history of photography in Iran. Moreover, it can be said that there are a few researches in the Iranian photography considering various aspects of its historical background with a clear conceptual framework and a recognized perspective. For sure considering the “politics” context that has had a determinative role in historic procedure of Iran and “social” context that has been an opposite polarity of politics can make appropriate view to read out this history; therefore, a qualitative and critical analysis study on part of history of Iranian photography, at probing the basic socio-political structures in a concrete documented -and not abstract- manner, is necessitated. For this goal, history of Iranian photography, in Pahlavi period, is seen from window of “discourse” and “discourse analysis”. Conceptual and methodological framework of this paper is based on “Michel Foucault`s” ideas. So the purpose of this article is “genealogy” of photographic discourse in Pahlavi era and also survey on “Ideological” role of photography in that period. It is also tries to proceed to plat of this discourse for “power relations”, “subjectification”, and “objectification” naturally. The main question is “What discourse and how is it formulated in this period? And also what is the relationship of this discourse and power”? Author in a historical process, from the Qajar to Pahlavi era, proves that “social discourse” With a variety of structural changes, which are more in the scope of “politics”, at this period of the history of Iranian photography, has been formed and dominated. This was because of a modern government with a modern political procedure that tried to implicitly obtain its follower`s approval. What is important in this procedure is the process during which the “politics” becomes more “rational” and “hegemonic” as sitting behind the social issues in that period. Photography was able to play ideological role in this process for political issues as representational media by the means of promotional, personal and personnel practices. Photography was also the best media to represent middle and burgess class which had formed in that period and had attracted special attention of the new government to itself. “Identity”, is an important construction that will be noted as well, the identity presented in the human face and facial expressions in "photographs"; and this is what making human the “subject” and “object” of the existing power relations in the fabric of society- the society in which social issues, besides its cultural, economic, and the other components have undergone specific rotations turning them from a particular simplicity into a certain level of complexity.