Reflections of contemporary art in Iranian Culture: An Exploratory Journey of

Indigenous Paintings through the Work of Ahmad Esfandiari and Mahmoud

Javadipour

The notion of Present day art and creativity on ideals were fittingly enunciated by Kara Walker,
who once remarked that “I didn’t want a completely passive viewer. Art means too much to me.
To be able to articulate something visually is really an important thing. I wanted to make work
where the viewer wouldn’t walk away.” Therefore, it is rightly observed that contemporary art
has a deep-rooted impact on all cultures. This essence of this paper shall be a detailed discussion
on the impact of indigenous paintings on contemporary art through the work of Ahmad
Esfandiari (1922-2013) and Mahmoud Javadipour (1920-2012).

The paper shall argue that the aforementioned artists have impacted the prevalent Iranian trends
by stressing on the relevance of indigenous people. It shall further focus on the techniques
developed by these artists for the investigation of identity by adding modern elements to their
paintings. Conclusively, this paper will demonstrate that these artists have actively voiced the
significance of Iranian inhabitants through their work which will have an everlasting impact on
their viewers.

Both artists were among the first graduate batches of fine arts from university of Tehran (1945-
1948). In her lecture on the pioneers of new painting in Iran, Dr. Alice Bombardier described
their work as artists who ‘took advantage of the tumultuous 1940s to give birth to an innovative
pictorial style, locally called “New Painting.’

With the end of monarchy, profession of artist in contemporary Iran evolved and the young
artists deeply transformed the Iranian art scene. They developed new artistic experiments
(naqqashi-i jadid or naqqashi-i now) comprising the use of pure acrylic colors, outdoor painting
and social practices including the principle of public exhibition along with artistic collective
associations which reformed the landscape of Iranian art. Consequently, by the late 1940s, both
artists had had exerted a substantial influence on modern art in Iranian society through their
exhibitions, lectures, and articles.
Art has influenced Ahmed Esfandiari since his childhood. In his elementary school he was involved in calligraphy and school
drawings. This passion for art led him to continue his education in fine Arts. In his 1997 interview with Javad Mojabi , he spoke
about his educational journey at university of Tehran. He emphasized on the importance of apprehending the foreign faculty
lectures which introduced contemporary techniques into the Iranian art. Therefore under Western-based educational systems he
learned to see society and culture the way his teachers did.

According to him “it was through our own experiments and the appreciated work of the others that we understood what the
teachers meant.” Yet he believed that he and his contemporaries ‘lived through a particularly difficult period… We discovered
the pleasure of uncharted paths …But the critics were not on our side and no social value was attached to our work.’
Nonetheless the struggles of his time led him to showcase his work in art galleries. His painting technics mastered the modern
art and lucidly depicted the Iranian culture. He made a living by drawing naturalistic images for the Museum of Natural Science.

Thus, focusing on his surroundings, his art work expressed the heritage of indigenous people and nature. Resultantly, in 2010
along with Mahmud Javadipour, Tehran Museum of Contemporary Art (TMoCA) exhibition paid homage to his work by
recognizing him as one of the pioneers of modern art in Iran.

Ahmed Esfandiari’s effort to weave strong bonds between his art works and the
viewers can be seen in this untitled oil on canvas 44*60cm picture executed in
1970.

One can see the new technique of outdoor painting and the depiction of the
everyday surroundings. This painting encompasses tradition Iranian society
with horses in the background as a mode of transportation for the indigenous
workers. These laborers are busy loading and unloading baggage and other
goods in a local setting. These laborers are dressed up in a traditional uniform.
Their heads are covered with caps, signifying their role as concierge. Everyone
is busy performing their duties on a busy weekday in a bazaar. One can only
see the side profile of these workers. Therefore, the subjects are not directly
gazing towards the viewer.

Here he has used modern Western combinations of familiar Iranian art motifs
such as tilework and traditional arches. The walls and the doors are covered
with these traditional motifs. Nevertheless, the scene has been captured through
modern techniques, implementing minimal color variation with different
shades. The blue outlines and silhouettes add an influential effect to these
forms and shapes.

The overall mood of the painting is energetic and exciting in an orderly

manner. This painting has a vibe that would be relatable to many of its viewers.
Similarly, this untitled oil on canvas, 90*70 cm painting was
executed in 2005 portrays a rural scenes with indigenous people
sitting in the heart of nature. In this oriental scene, Esfandiari has
combined modernist techniques with an individual style inspired
by regional personas.

The painting depicts human in complete harmony with the

Mother Nature. Shades and hues of -purples, blues, greens,
turquoise, orange, and gold yellow used in painting traditional
Iranian pottery are aligned in a modem approach. Crafting a new
diverse skill of his own, this painting reminds one of the
Impressionist and Post-Impressionist styles with their warm and
lively compositions and harmony. Thus one can clearly grasp the
essence of the picture from viewing it from a distance. This is a
distinct feature found Esfandiari’s work as none of his paintings
contain details that might be visible from a nearby view. Thus
even without focusing on tiny details, such as facial expressions,
his paintings convey the emotions and the mood of the captured
scene in an eloquent manner. Moreover, using black contours in
this landscape bear a resemblance to the Persian traditional
pottery. Furthermore, the silhouettes enhance a dominant
influence to the forms and shapes.

Additionally, one can see young men sitting on the surface

involved in a heated discussion. The presence of a chair/stool
shows that an authoritative figure or a teacher has perhaps briefly
went somewhere or it could be the figure with front profile. The
side profile of two figures/students sitting with opened books on
the floor adds value to this analysis.

The light is paving its way through the trees in order to support
their activity, which signifies the rural setting in this painting.
The convergence and harmonization between nature and its
subjects sets a dreamy and peaceful mood for this painting.
Set against a natural landscape, one can see people enjoying
their time in nature. This painting has post-impressionist style
and shows a scene frozen mid action.

One cannot focus on a particular object in this painting. The

entirety of the painting has an eye moving impact. Hence,
audience will be left amazed seeing this view. The blurred
edges around the painting makes this piece a subjective one. At
some places the bold brush strokes are showing movement
while at the other places, the paint is applied as smudges which
is giving an equally aesthetic effect to the painting. The
placement of men can leave the audience guessing whether the
forest is used only for recreational purposes or as source of
livelihood and income for the indigenous people. One can see
two men indulged in an important discussion while another man
is carrying a backpack and walking stick. The man on the right
side seems like he is enjoying a calming walking.

The wild red flower in the right corner enhances the beauty of
the picture. It almost feels like that the artist has left a personal
mark by adding the red flower in between the stone.

The mood of this picture is serene, leaving the imagination of

its viewers longing for a tranquil destination.
Alice Bombardier rightly articulates on the late recognition received by 2 nd
generation Iranian Artists. Although, Esfandiari is famous for his still life
paintings, however, much of his work is only cited in Persian language which
makes it difficult to discover the exact title, dates and dimensions of his oil on
canvas still life drawings. However, his modern art technique in combination
with Iranian culture and Persian signature make it easy to identify his work.

He described his work in a 2001 interview for Tehran times as “Actually I have
my own style of painting. I create the forms and the designs all in my mind, then
I try to paint them on canvas. I use mostly oil colors and pay much attention to
creativity. I try to simplify figures and use abstract figures in my paintings. I
also like to paint nature in my own style.”

This is evident in his still life painting. While black contours and silhouettes that
enhanced the shape of the vase holding the roses and with their branches, the
visible Iranian pottery shades of blues, greens, turquoise, orange, and gold
yellow used in painting highlight in his modem approach.

Similarly, the second picture has used the same color palette. This 1987, 80 * 60
oil on canvas embraces colors used in traditional Iranian pottery and geometrical
tiles, whilst it captures still life using the similar style and arrangements
developed by contemporary artists. Several contemporary artists have depicted
similar still life scenes titled as vase of spring or bouquet of flowers in a vase.
Esfandiari’s work has thus contributed in mainstreaming Iranian heritage in
contemporary art.

In his 2001 interview, replying to a question he stressed on placing importance

on art, “I personally believe that we have many good artists in Iran, but we
should respect the value of art rather than the artist himself. Certain young
artists are working really hard, but they should remember that they must tread a
long path in order to become good artists. They should not let fame disturb the
value of art.”

Esfandiari’s devotion is evident in his still life paintings, whereby he maintained

a balance in his art work between the cultural heritage and modern techniques.
This can be seen the oil on canvas where locally produced melon and peaches
can be seen placed in a modern style depicting contemporary settings for still
life paintings. The color palette of this oil on painting has dominant shade of
white, which makes this still life interesting. The color is visible as a cloth
spread on a table, lying beneath the fruits. Colors such as blue-green along with
orange and red depicting the seasonal fruits are also dominant in his other
paintings. The placement of the knife along with the half eaten melon makes it
obvious that the artist tried to capture a live scene, whereby someone had just ate
the fruits and took a short break from this treat, thereby leaving the audience
open to interpretation of this painting.

This still life has a combination of western and eastern vibe. Although, locally
produced fruit can be seen in the picture however, the style resembles Paul
Cézanne’s paintings. Audience can feel the taste and smell these delicacies as
the fruit is not only ripened but also freshly eaten.
Mahmoud Javadipour is a founding artist of the 1940s. He is widely recognized as the pioneer of new painting that has benefited
the new generation of artists. He elaborated on his technique and stated ‘ I have always paid attention to three points in
photography: the connection of the image with its subject, the interestingness of the image in terms of composition and coloring,
the suitability of the image for the age group of the audience. For everyone I have worked for, the first condition has been to
have independence and freedom in my work.’

Moreover, he was the pioneer in changing the social setting for art displays and provided local artists with the first forum to
showcase their work. In 1949, he opened the first modern art gallery (Apadana Gallery-Club) in Tehran prior to which these
pioneers were not provided with an opportunity to exhibit their work and only orientalist drawings made by foreign artists paved
to the local clubs.

Mahmoud Javadipour incorporated the new painting

techniques prior to opening the art gallery. For
instance, in this 150*190 cm oil on gunny 1947
picture, several influences can be identified. For
example, the man lying and suffering in the center is
depicted like a Christ taken down from the cross. The
farmers at the back are also closed to social realism
and the ruins in the background seem to draw
inspiration from the European classical paintings.

However, this painting was drawn by him during his

studies and later he gave up figuration after studying
abroad. Therefore, this painting is perhaps one of the
few paintings which has a chaotic vibe leaving viewers
lost the in disorderly era of 1940s in Iran.
In this Threshing Damavand, Oil on Canvas, 49 X 69cm,
Tehran, viewers can see farmers threshing with the help of
oxen. The oxen’s are walking round and round, dragging a
heavy threshing board behind them to tear the ears of grain
from the stalks and as a result loosening the grain from the
husks. Mountains can be seen in the background. The color
palette of these mountains is showing different color to
differentiate the proximity between the activity and the
mountains. With lighter colors showing a greater distance
while the darker colors are focusing on the details of the
nearby mountains. Trees can also be located at a distance
and the ground has various textures and brush strokes
showing the grazed field surrounding the commotion. This
picture has captured a single moment around the farming
activity. This makes it easier for viewers to comprehend the
native Iranian culture in the countryside. Overall this
painting has quite mood. It focuses on the minute details
including the hard work undertaken by the farmers.