مجله رهپویه هنر
سال پنجم شماره 3 (پیاپی 16، پاییز 1401)

Myths are narratives of human spiritual past; they are rooted in human beliefs and have emerged from the heart of ancient human adventures and efforts to justify and understand real or imaginary phenomena. As myths incorporated supernatural characteristics beyond the range of human abilities, they have been a significant and favorite subject in the human mind through several generations. The events and circumstances of the modern world have led to the emergence of modern myths that represent new and different forms of traditional myths while borrowing their definition. In contemporary world, we are confronted with constructed myths for particular purposes in politics and economics the growth and development or the decline and fall of which take place based on a predetermined plan. Similarly, in the field of art, the sensitive and capable artist has taken heed of such a process. A critical approach towards the constructed myths in art has led to the creation of modern myths that have been formed to express their concerns and particular world view in the works of these artists. Interacting with the surrounding world, contemporary painter attempts to explore the various functions of modern myths in the works of art. The present study aims to analyze why and how modern myths have been used and function in contemporary Iranian paintings. The research questions include: 1. why contemporary Iranian painters have utilized modern myths in order to communicate the message of the works? 2. How and with what function have they used modern myths to communicate the message of the works? This study is a basic theoretical research in purpose and takes up descriptive-analytical method with comparative approach. The required information was collected based on documentary and library research and observing the works that were gathered using computer-based identifiers and scanners. Moreover, the works were analyzed qualitatively.In this regard, this study examines 5 paintings selected from the works of four contemporary Iranian painters namely, Bahman Mohasses, Ali Akbar Sadeghi, Mahmoud Sabzi, and Mehran Saber.The results of the study indicated that historical changes such as the World Wars, the rise of new ideologies and schools of thought, and the consumerism resulting from the capitalist world could be recounted as the overall reasons for the emergence ofmodern myths in the works of Iranian painters.The present study first attempts to define myth and its variations in the contemporary world and the views of theorists, then it analyzes modern myths and the relationship between myth, art, painting, and modern myths. Consequently, the selected works of the artists under study are introduced and a logical analysis of the works is provided. Finally, the results of the study is presented separately in the form of comparative table of categorization of the artists based on their approach towards modern myths in painting.

Memorial Photography are a variety of photographs related to the dead and the lost, created in a variety of forms and keeping their memory alive in the minds of the survivors by associating the lived experiences of the people with the survivors. which are made personal and unique by memorial objects. Such photos are displayed along with a memorial item related to the missing person (death or absence) in different ways, in the form of a photo of a statue on the wall or as a necklace pendant, etc. On the other hand, commemorative photos are devoted to the association of secret relationships, feelings and memories and accompany the viewer to achieve an understanding of the commemorative object attached to the photo in the continuity of time. In some types of such photographs, such as photographs of objects, a unique perceptual experience is created between the image of the absent person (from the past) and the remembered object (in the present), such as a part of the absent person’s hair or even a brooch. and the concept of time against it is understood in the form of “past-now”. This means that for a particular audience in the face of these images, the past is in continuity with the present, leading to a different understanding of meaning from the present moment and transforming the familiar mindset of ordinary linear time. Confronting memorial photography causes change and evolution in the perception of the lived experience of a person in the context of time, In terms of this issue, Henri Bergson has very important opinions about how time and memory work and its relationship with photography. Twentieth-century French philosopher Henri Bergson interprets time as constantly transformable and continuous matter, and for this feature, he uses the term: “ Duration” .The main question, however, is whether Memorial Photography can be in line with such a notion of time from Bergson’s point of view, as well as the notion of mourning for Sigmund Freud in the face of the loss of a loved one? Therefore, in the present study, to reach the correct answer to this question, on the one hand, it relies on the views of  Henry Bergson, who interprets time as a continuous truth (Duration). Duration here means that time cannot be separated and divided into past, present and future. Bergson believes that what we understand from time is the flow and sequence of states that are interwoven, so the long term is considered a kind of quality time that is lived inside the human being at this moment and cannot be thought about. On the other hand, relying on the theories of Sigmund Freud, who provided precise definitions about concepts such as loss, mourning, and idolatry, which are very important in the analysis of memorial photos and the meaning of these types of works. Regarding mourning, he consider it as a reaction to the loss of a loved one or the loss of that which, in an abstract way, replaces him. Therefore, when a person loses a loved one, he experiences grief, which implies a state of incapacity and the lack of ability to choose a new subject or object for affection. In idolatry theory, a person who suffers loss seeks a replacement for absence. For this reason, an alternative is chosen over this lack, which is chosen consciously by the individual. In this process, the bereaved person directs his emotional attachments to the memory object (substitute object) that consoles him for this loss. These objects are not only material and physical objects, but the bereaved person preserves them to express narratives of personal memory that replace that loss. But after some time, over time, his relationship and attachment with the object is cut off and he accepts the truth. In this research, some types of memorial photos are studied in an analytical way and based on the opinions of Henri Bergson (in the problem of defining entangled times) and Sigmund Freud (in the mourning process). 10th and we come to the conclusion that there is an effect and a sign of the past in the memorial photos, which in addition to an idol-like function in the mourning process, also have a kind of transformable and conceptual timing. Because the meaning of these signs has undergone a transformation through the time (Duration) and causes a transformation in the perception of the lived experience of a person through Duration’s interpretation of the concept of time.

Varamin, the capital of Varamin County, is located 35 km southeast of Tehran province. This city has many ancient and historical monuments and religious places, each of which is of great importance. This city was at the peak of its prosperity during the Ilkhanid period, during which significant historical buildings such as Ala-Doleh Tower, Imamzadeh Yahya Mausoleum, and Prince Hossein Mausoleum were built in this city. The great mosque of Varamin is also one of the most important buildings remaining from the Ilkhanate period, the construction of which began during the reign of Sultan Muhammad Khodabande and was completed during the reign of his son and successor, Sultan Abu Saeed Bahadur Khan, in 722 AH, although the inscription above the head of the door and the inscription under the dome show the year 726 AH. This building, which is registered as number 176 in the list of national monuments, is of global importance due to its architecture and decorations, and some researchers consider it one of the most complete architectural examples of traditional mosques in Iran. In the Great Mosque of Varamin, the architectural ornaments are implemented in the most beautiful way possible and it displays a unique example of the art of the 8th century of Hijri. Plastering and tiling occupy a large area of these ornaments and play a very important role in decorating the interior and exterior spaces of this building. In addition to the use of various execution techniques, the existing designs have a lot of visual capabilities and variety, which include plant, geometric, and inscriptions, which together create a beautiful and harmonious collection of designs and calligraphy. In the meantime, geometric motifs have a privileged position and can be seen to a large extent in the decorations of this mosque. These decorations have valuable artistic features that are less introduced and noticed; for this reason, the main goal of this research is to introduce the geometric decorations of the Great Mosque of Varamin and to take a detailed look at these decorations, to get to know more about the motifs and preserve and revive them. In this regard, the main question of this research is: What are the most significant motifs and geometric decorations in the architectural ornaments of the Great Mosque of Varamin? To achieve the goal of this research, a descriptive-analytical method has been used, based on field research and the study of written sources. The results of the studies show that most of the geometric decorations are concentrated in the north (frontispiece) and south (Ivan and dome chamber) facades of the Great Mosque of Varamin, which are executed with brick and tile, mosaic tile, and plastering techniques. In addition, in the main parts of each space and on wide surfaces, nodes are observed in which “six, eight, and twelve feathered wheels” are used. In many examples, these geometric decorations are combined with plant motifs or inscriptions, and this variety of motifs, which is sometimes accompanied by technical variety (brick and tile, brick and plaster), has given a beautiful effect to this building. In general, we can say that the architectural decorations of Varamin Grand Mosque, both in terms of technique and in terms of design and role, have excellent visual values and are considered a very valuable source of study in the field of architectural decorations in the Ilkhanid period. Geometric decorations are considered a very important part of architectural decorations in this building, which through repetition, symmetry, and contrast, have succeeded in forming a single patterning system, and have sufficient order and coherence despite the great variety.

Sphinx (Abu Al- Hol) is one of the symbols that existed in ancient Persia.The Aim of our studying was growing of the History and Concepts of Sphinx in the Ancient of Iran. The questioner of this research was historical background of sphinx and how it functions? The Research Method and Function is Fundamental and Historical. The method of collecting Information’s has been Through library and documental of the subject Sphinx in an Ancient Iran. In this paper which is the result of research in the field of Sphinx and its function, the main purpose is to study the historical roots of this symbol and its function in ancient Persia. The research question is that “how is the history of Sphinx symbol and its function in Iran?”, based on the purpose, is the type of fundamental research and the nature and method of historical research in which the subject is studied based on historical documents and archaeological evidences.Ancient Iranians used winged animals and winged Sphinxes in graffiti, carvings, beaked embossed figures on rocks as well as motifs of buildings, columns and fine arts of jewelry, met al work art, especially weaving fabrics and carpets. It’s normal. Many of these hybrid beings have a human element, such as the head with the animal trunk and sometimes vice versa, and are distant reflections of the prehistoric world. Members of each tribe felt that they were the same with their totem animal (Hosseini, 2016, 2016, Hall, 2001, 107). Semi-animal and semi-human motifs on each subject, in addition to the specific sign of its owner, constituted a talisman that kept its owner in his refuge from evil spirits (Jahanpanah, 2017:78).These hybrid animals are the birth of the human imagination and have the meaning of natural and unnatural heroes who control and direct the force of nature by supernatural power (Hamman, 83, Sharifzadeh, 2018: 53, Nazeri, A &all. 2017: 5792, Mitt Ford, 2002: 78,209,175). According to Feldman, the hybrid human-animal motifs figures on the Ivory in the late Bronze Age (1200-1600 B.C) have been observed from Greece to Iran.The results of this study showed that the history of human-animal composite symbol in Iran dates back to the prehistoric period and in Bastak region of Hormozgan province, and then the history of this figure dates back to fifth millennium B.C and as a primary human-animal hybrid being and in the state of animal-demoniac in the hill of Jafarabad, Khuzestan. In the late of fifth millennium B.C, the figure of hybrid beings has been seen in Ilam and especially in Shoosh. In the fourth millennium B.C in the Shoosh Acro Police, the figure of the beast-demoniac has been seen on a variety of seals. In the fourth millennium B.C in the Halilrud basin, this hybrid figure existed. The hybrid figure of male-lion has also existed in Shahdad, Kerman and the burned city of Sistan in the fourth and third millennium B.C. Onwards, it has been seen in the field of Halilrud and Jiroft, in terms of the smallest number of figures of Sphinx in Iran in the first millennium B.C, the Sphinx Functional Foundation goes back to the function of the lion symbol and is rooted in the mythology and religious beliefs of ancient Iran, which includes holiness, respect, fear, totemic (support, protection), Titan, power and heroism. The most important factor of this symbol is positive in Iran.The concept of symbol Sphinx in Ancient Iran had the meaning the God of Plain/Strength/The Sun/the Light and Patience. In the third and fourth millennium of B.C under the Elamite Civilization had a special meaning. It was a symbol of then functional Religion which meant Strength/ Respect and Direction. The function of this symbol under the other ancient civilization like Crete and Hallil Rood was the same but it meant fully other it, s meaning for those civilizations was negative. The people of those civilizations were sacred of this symbol. It had some specific meaning for them which were Fear/Destruction and Intrigue or Sedition.However the result of this investigation showed that except the two named civilizations, it had other meanings in those times. The Function of the above mentioned symbol had a Positive and Common meaning for other people which they had used them in their daily life.

In the current digital world, as a result of the fact that the designers create the new virtual world off the ground, identifying the human requirements and confinements is more important and required than ever for correct design. The designer needs to pay attention to human needs so as that relate humans with today’s digital machines in a good manner. One of the most significant human limitations that should be considered while designing is the limitations of the human brain. The fact that how much the designation is proportional to the human brain is of high importance. One of the most important characteristics of the brain for visual understanding of identifying objects is the ability to recognize the pattern. The stage after the vision is understanding what has been seen and after that saving it as an identifying point so that it would be possible to recognize what the eyes have seen and the brain has understood. Recognition includes patterns that teach us how to understand a variety of messages such as familiar visual messages, dangers, categories, differences, and many concepts and forms in our surroundings. The main issue of the present investigation is to study the facts and relations of the object recognition patterns that play a role in the fundamental process of visual understanding and analyze these patterns in different resources of the cognitive sciences, particularly cognitive psychology. So that the way of interaction in the brain will be analyzed through this perspective and the resulted relations can be used for a more humanistic design. Therefore, this paper is trying to first, realize what is the recognition process and at which stage it happens and following this to answer the question of whether these relations have any impact on the humanistic design and if there’s any connection among these two? And if the recognition patterns impact the designation, what are the achievements that can be reached for the designers in this arena? This investigation is being done through data collection from library resources and in form of a case study, and it tries to clarify the impact of visual understanding on the humanistic designation by citing the argued views in the field of cognitive psychology. Regarding the fact that the objects around us are comprehended by the brain, it’s of high importance to study how visual comprehension works and its impact on the designation. Recently, neuroscience has been improved significantly in identifying the abilities of the brain and creating brain measuring tools and these improvements have helped the cognitive sciences and consequently cognitive sciences.The association between design and cognition is one of the major subjects in the recent investigations which has been a field of interest for the investigators in this field. In this regard, the most important views in the field of recognition patterns have been examined and the result has been extracted as far as possible. Particularly, one of the most important views that have been argued the most, is the component integrity theory. This investigation is based on the implicit studies and various documents in the field of cognitive psychology, it offers 10 final recommendations for the designers so that they’ll be able to have a design more proportionate to the human cognitive abilities. These 10 recommendations are general statements and each of them is trying to guide the cognitive designers not accurately and specifically but generally.These ten propositions prove two basic things. First, it shows that the knowledge of cognitive science can help designers to make their design according to human mental limitations. Second, it is possible to extract some achievements from these theories which lead to general rules for a human-centered visual design according to these achievements. Finally, this research deals with the fact that knowing the pattern recognition and considering them in the design creates more integration in the perception of the design, faster understanding of the visual relationships by the user, and considering the overall structure to differentiate between the shapes. This research indicates that visual noise should be avoided in design and visual signals of the target should be placed in front of the eyes of the design audience as much as possible. Wrong or ineffective signals make the reading of the design more intricate and increase the cognitive load. On the other hand, the model of cognitive devils presents us, what are the stages of perception from this theory, which part of the image is understood earlier and easier than the others, and basically what are the stages of visual perception. In line with what was stated, the research deals with how visual search is done and how to reduce the visual search time for the user so that the user can understand the design as quickly and simply as possible.

The shrine of Sahl Ibn Ali is one of the religious buildings in Iran that is located in Astaneh city in the southwest of Markazi province. It was founded for a man who was one of the descendants of Zein al Abedin. Although many historical documents give us little information about this building, there isn’t any evidence about the exact time of construction. However, according to historical studies  there was a tombstone and a wooden case above it with the date of seventh century AH and they had inscriptions that description this grave belongs to the Sahl Ibn Ali. Unfortunately, the wooden case has been missing and the tombstone inscription is illegible. Consequently, according to the oldest historical document we can deduce that it was built before the Safavid dynasty. Nevertheless, similar to other religious buildings, it has many historical decorations that occupy a significant part of it, which consists of inscription, mural, mirror work, tile, and woodwork that belong to Qajar and Safavid era. Although a few contemporary studies on the religious characteristics of Sahl Ibn Ali have only indicated the art decorations, there is no any specific research on the artistic characteristics. These sources prove that there were many decorations especially calligraphic that are missing and for this reason it is important to study the architecture and its decorations. Besides mural, mirrors and other decorations, inscriptions are remarkable for vary executive technique, location and information. For this reason, this research focuses on inscriptions and calligraphies to find their functions among other decorations. One of the remarkable characteristics of these inscriptions is their complexion. Three of them have dark-blue background colors with white or yellow inscriptions on them that made them for viewers legible in the distance. Two of these three inscriptions is including a Sura of Qoran located under the dome that it had written with Tholth. unfortunately, the one situated in the highest part under the dome  has been damaged since of the water that leak from the dome. One of these dark-blue inscriptions is located in the loggia which is a poem that described the restoration that had been done by Hesam Alsaltanah, who was one of the Princes of the Qajar dynasty. This inscription has written in Nastaligh and has a kind of plasterwork technique that is painted with blue and yellow. Unfortunately, by the destructed of the loggia, the first and last part of this inscription has been removed. Another group of inscriptions is those engraved and located above the main door that belongs to the Qajar era and the other one is located above the loggia door from Safavid era. This inscription inclouds hadith of Mohammad, the prophet of Islam who authentic Ali as his successor. And this inscription with its date and names of artists could be important evidence of the importance of this building because this hadith usually used as a political-religious motto by Safavid kings in their religious buildings to develop Shiites. It includes the name of Ali Akbar Isfahani that who may be the person who was a great architect in the Safavid era and Mohammad Reza as it’s calligrapher. If the architect of this building(Ali Akbar) is the same as the architect of Imam Mosque of Isfahan it could be remarkable as an unknown work of Ali Akbar Isfahani. The other group of inscriptions is several small pieces of paper that maintain under the glass in the loggia. These papers with their information about artists, supporters, and the date of repair could be a historical document about this building. They are written with black, green, and red ink and have only just a simple pattern of birds with several thin lines around words as a border. In summarize , one of results in this research is finding the lost scripts belonging to the Qajar dynasty. The inscriptions in this tomb have been written with two kinds of calligraphies, Nastaliq and Tholth and based on their content we can divide them into two groups, historical and religious. The religious inscriptions have been written with Tholth, do not have any information such as date and artist’s name, they are with fresco and they are located under the dome and the roof of the porch. The historical inscriptions have been written with Nastaliq with various techniques such as petroglyph, calligraphy on paper and are located on the west porch. Also they give us much information about artist’s and sponsor’s name and the date when the building was repaired. After considering all inscriptions in this tomb we can say that main cause of used historical inscriptions is their information, and their aesthetic functions is of second importance. These inscriptions form an important evidence that proves that this building was remarkable for the government and that the officials ordered to repair and decorate it.

Mansour Qandriz is one of the most talented contemporary painters in Iran whose name is usually associated with the Saqakhaneh School; however, many of his figurative works, which have been created using the world of myths and ancient traditions of Iranian illustration and have primitive and mysterious character, have been excluded from the scope of research. In his paintings, this artist has used the aesthetic values of the Iranian visual tradition to identify and create meaning, as well as the theme of the horse, which has been common in Iranian art since ancient times, in a repetitive and meaningful way. The following research, by selecting a work by this artist, which is dominated by a mythical and mysterious atmosphere and also shows two horses in it, while one of them has two horns on its head, try to explore the mechanism of meaning creation and how the theme of the horse participates in the process of creating meaning. According to the authors, there is no similar example of a horse with two horns and it is the invention of Qandriz himself, which can be seen in his other artworks. Despite many searches, so far no research has been found that has independently analyzed the meaning of Qandriz’s artworks. The only example is an article titled “Intertextual reading of Mansour Qandriz’s figurative artworks” (2019) by Taranom Taqavi and Mahboubeh Pahlavan, in which some of his paintings were read by a group of audiences; In line with the confirmation of what Roland Barthes said, there is a possibility of creating meaning for each text based on the number of the audience and based on their mental pre-texts. Other articles, all of which have been conducted around the Saqakhaneh School, have sometimes dealt with Mansour Qandriz in a very brief manner. Considering the existence of a kind of discourse and the sense of the presence of action and tension in the artwork selected by this research, the method of Discourse Semantics has been chosen for analysis to understand the unique and independent meaning of this image. Discursive sign-semantics is the fruit of structural semiotics and narrative system of semantic studies. This view links the flow of meaning production and sensory conditions and considers a kind of ontology for linguistic production. Discursive sign-semantics signifies an event variant of the presence of sign-meanings and investigates the function, production, and reception of meaning in discursive systems. Sign-semantics of discourse is sketched in the form of processes and different emotional, cognitive, sensory-perceptual, esthetics dimensions. All of these variants share the flexibility and fluidity of sign-meaning and are revealed under the supervision and control of the discourse process. In this process, signs, along with meanings, are turned into fluid, dynamic, plural, multi-dimensional and full of tension variants. Sign-semantics patterns can act as an efficient method for analyzing literary texts and predisposing them to new readings. The main goal of the research is to reveal the meaning of the painting and its secondary goal is to understand the function and meaning related to the role of the horses in it. The choice of discourse semantic method enables this research to cross the semantic square and reveal the final meaning of the effect and function of the horses in it by analyzing the stress square. The research findings indicate that it is the result of action and interaction between the elements and factors of discourse in the image is perfection and excellence, and the horse plays the accompanying role and auxiliary factor of mankind. In this work, the horned horse is estimated to be a conservationist and dependent on femininity. The choice of mentioned method enabled this research to reveal the atmosphere, discourse coloring and image location as well as discourse factors. The atmosphere is formed by the collision of two elements, dark and light, man and woman. While at first glance the image appears in captivity and a circle of darkness, the discourse coloring and subsequent stages of analysis reveal that there is light on the dark side as well as vice versa. The primitive state of the horse’s face with the woman, the entanglement of the body of the two, and the calmness and ignorance of the woman, have given a protective role to the horse with her. The discourse factors in this image are: the active man, the passive woman, the horse on the right as the female helper, the horse on the left as the male helper, and the small white ball in the horned horse’s hand as the man’s desirable value object. Since semantic squares provide a limited and closed reading for this image, it is necessary to skip the semantic square and deal with the tension square. Perfection and excellence is the result of action and interaction between the elements and factors of discourse in the image. Although elements such as darkness, stillness, passivity, and femininity appear to be opposed to light, motion, activity, and masculinity, meaning is formed by the movement between these concepts and the action between them; otherwise, the meaning will be rigid and one-sided.

The Seljuq period is one of the most brilliant periods in the history of Iranian art. Many factors contributed to the growth and flourishing of art in this period, including political and economic stability, court attention to art and artists, and the spread of science and culture. Although mural painting is one of the most important media of Seljuq art, plenty of works of this valuable art have been lost throughout history. The murals inside the eastern tower of Kharaghan are the only remnants of this rich and deep-rooted Iranian visual tradition in this period. These murals include geometric, animal, plant, and calligraphic motifs, of which the peacock motif is one of the most notable ones. This motif is one of the most important and widely used motifs in Seljuq period illustration. The purpose of this study is to explain the meaning and concept of peacock motifs in the murals of the eastern tower of Kharaghan. Through this research, the iconographic approach has been used as a theoretical framework, which enables us to explore and understand the meanings inside this motif by studying the roots of its creation. In this research, the descriptive-analytical method has been used. The approach considered in this research is qualitative and the collection of information is library and field observation. The population studied in this research is divided into two categories: main society and sub-society. The main category is the same as the murals of the tower and the second category is enamel dishes were used as an example of evidence. The main reason for choosing a sub-community for the study is the high similarity of forms and visual elements with the main community. Following the theoretical framework, First, we analyze the form of each of these images. Then in the second stage by referring to the literary texts of this period, we examine the subject and concept of the peacock in writings and poems. In the third stage of this approach, for a deeper understanding of the subject, we refer to other sources, which are the same as enamel dishes. Lastly, after examining various texts and relics from this period, we concluded that the peacock represents power and glory in these murals, rather than being considered a sacred motif. Therefore, in this period, the peacock has more of a practical aspect than a symbolic one. The peacock loses its former symbolic meaning and shows a new meaning in this period. This indicates that many of these symbolic meanings are conventional and lose their former meaning over time and in the new society they show a different meaning. According to the studies done, it can be seen that in this period, the motif of the peacock takes on a completely different meaning and becomes more courtly, and was used to show power and glory. Unlike previous eras, the peacock had a symbolic and holy color in works of art and was mystically important. According to the sources related to the Seljuq era, the peacock is no longer considered a heavenly and sacred creature, on the contrary, its previous value and prestige are lost and even its position is damaged to such an extent that it is complicit. It is identified with Satan in Adam’s exit from heaven. A creature that was previously known as a manifestation of godliness and love, is known in the literary sources of this period as a regretful creature with hideous feet that represent his sin. Therefore, it cannot be assumed that this role was used in these mural paintings in a sacred and customary sense. From an aesthetic point of view, the peacock is valuable because of its beautiful shape, especially in the form and color of its feathers, and it is present in many works and objects. In the end, it can be concluded that this role of the subject has taken root among other art branches and has been constantly repeated in other fields as well. This motif is considered one of the most practical motifs of this course.