Ali Akbar Sadeghi by Shirin Gallery

1- Ali Akbar Sadeghi at the Top, Posing Pyramid with Fellow Student for Celebration of Hakimzadeh School, Tehran, 1946

Artistic Chronology 2016

Bach fugue, repetitive, yet sublimely unique, and this is what he brings to his paintings. This variety despite similitude is what I’ve had the privilege of experiencing, as I’ve been absorbed in his works over the past several months.

Shirin Gallery is proud to be part of the third continuous year of ArtDubai Modern. Participating in the Contemporary Section would allow us the opportunity of presenting a more diverse range of artists, perhaps appealing to a wider audience. Yet, I find the Modern Section significantly more alluring. Art Dubai Modern can be relatively compared to a miniature scale museum where galleries are able to represent and study the oeuvre of an artist that might not be easily done in the other formats of Art fairs. Choosing to represent a single artist may encompass a greater risk, however, it has the benefit of allowing me to essentially “live” this artist’s life and work for a stretch of time. In a way, it becomes more of a research project where the gallery is allowed access to the creative mind and life of the artist it represents. Shirin Gallery was privileged to gain Ali Akbar Sadeghi’s consent in becoming our featured artist in 2016. At a time when the global art world has embraced an expanded discourse between “east” and “west”, we find ourselves at a crucial juncture in a globalized art field. In this moment of sensitivity towards cultural and regional diversity, Shirin Gallery is impatient to highlight the legacy of Ali Akbar Sadeghi, Artist, illustrator and filmmaker, who is and was an inspiration to many of Iran’s artistic avant-garde from the early 60’s. As one of the world’s preeminent art fairs recognized for its commitment to curatorial depth and diversity, Artdubai is a significant platform for our efforts to initiate global engagement with Ali Akbar Sadeghi’s practices. Sadeghi’s evolution as an artist – and I don’t use this word to indicate “progress” as in “improvement”, but to merely point to a transformation – Sadeghi has moved from realism, to graphic design, to more fantastical surreal expression. If the graphic designer, illustrator & filmmaker Sadeghi was limited to social ideals, here in his paintings, he can go beyond any conceptual or structural boundaries. He is an artist with roots in Persian lines, entwined with western motifs. Versions of …. Sadeghi talks about “…” in his work, a type of reproduction that occurs in nature, like the leaves of a tree, each one identical and unique at the same time, none of them a copy of the other. Or like a

1937 - 1943

1- Ali Akbar Sadeghi posed as Hercules, 1946 9

1944 - 1950

At the age of seven he attended Jam elementary school. From his early school years he showed great passion for painting and using any tools he found to create new paintings. During this time, he received a few issues of “Life” and “Time” magazines from his uncle and their images left a deep and lasting impression on him. His father was a technical operator at the printing house of Iran’s National Bank, and brought Ali Akbar print samples, which he used to create copies from. He gradually became interested in handicraft and worked in a carpentry workshop for a period of time.

1- Ali Akbar Sadeghi posed as Hercules, 1946 10

1951 - 1957

He attended Jam high school. Around age 12 he expressed interest in literature, Persian mythical stories and novels such as “The Black Tulip” and “Count of Monte Cristo” that greatly influenced him. It is also during this time that he saw a peddler storyteller portraying images of a religious ritual where a man’s body is being hacked; this deeply moved him. He received his first painting commission in 1952 and in the same year began working as Nasrollah Afjei’s assistant and while becoming acquainted with oil paint. He also became engaged with school performances and makeup. In 1953, he designed his school’s theatre hall. He learnt watercolour under the supervision of Avaak Hayrapetian but due to the coup of that year, his course remained unfinished until a month later when classes resume again. During this time, he also worked with Aidin Aghdashlou on colouring Hayrapetian’s postcard orders. He also began earning money from painting Chinese terracotta plates. He won the first prize in a painting competition in his school. In 1954 he worked as an illustrator and title organizer for Asia Newspaper.

Study for a Portrait, Mixed Media on Paper, 1960's

1- Ali Akbar Sadeghi Copies a Painting, 1954 2- Sitted Left, Ali Akbar Sadeghi Won the First Prize of Jam High School Painting Competition, 1957 3- Ali Akbar Sadeghi’s Painting in Jam High School’s Annual Magazine, 1953 4- Cover Design for Malekeh Etezadi’s Novel “Letters that Never Reached Him”, 1957 12

1958 - 1969

In 1957, Ali Akbar Sadeghi, Mahmoud Bassiri and Nasrollah Afjei opened “Atelier 7” in Tehran’s Shah-Abaad passage mall. In the same year, Sadeghi passed Tehran’s Fine Arts university entrance exam and entered university with the intension of earning his Fine Arts degree. He made his first theatre marquee for the second release of Mehdi Raees Firouz’s movie “Vagabond” in 1958. He designed his first vitrail painting, with a 24-square meters area, in 1959.

For couple years his main profession was designing film theatre marquees and vitrail paintings. In those years, he also worked as a graphic designer for a variety of Iranian magazines and companies and designed several movie posters. In 1965, he married Ashraf Bani Hashemi. In 1967 he painted a polyptych vitrail for Roudaki Hall and in the same year, moved from “Atelier 7” to establish “Vitrail Gallery” on Pahlavi Street. In 1969 he graduated from university and joined the military service. Later the same year he became father to his first son, Afshin.

1- Study for a Portrait, Mixed Media on Paper, 1960's 13

1. Cover Design for “Abdolrazagh Pahlavan”, 1971

2. Cover Design for “Gordafarid”, 1973

1. Cover Design for “Abdolrazagh Pahlavan”, 1971

Study for a Portrait, Mixed Media on Paper, 1960's

1970 - 1979

In 1970 Firouz Shirvanlou commissioned him to illustrate the book “Hero of Champions”. The book won first prize in the category of Asia’s best illustrations. After this commission, at the request of the Institute for Intellectual Development of Children and Young Adults, Sadeghi joined the institute as part of his military service duty and accepted the offer to make the animation “Seven Cities”.

Voyages of Sindbad the Sailor”, “They are Alive” and “Discovering Chess” and directed another animation “The Sun King”. In 1975, his second son, Arash, was born. In 1976 he illustrated two other books “The Shade-Spreading Tree” and “Stories by Asian People for Children of Everywhere”. The following year he created two more books: “Let’s Live Together” and “Rise My Sun “and directed “Zal and Simorgh” animation followed by another illustration “Be Fire and Blaze” in 1978.

A year later, in 1971, after he directed the animation “Seven Cities”, he worked on illustrating the books “Abdolrazagh Pahlavan” and “Be the Child of Your Time”. In 1972 he directed another animation entitled “Flower Storm”. In 1973 illustrated the books “Gordafarid”, ”Contemplation is the Best Worship” and “Rain, Sun and Tile’s Story”. In the same year, he directed “Boasting” and received the 1974 C.I.D.A.L.C. Gandhi Peace Prize at the Berlin Film Festival. In 1974 he illustrated the books, “Truth Higher than Heavens”, “Bronzsmiths”, “Prophet’s Mother” and “Good tales for Good Children”. In the same year, he directed “Rook”, an animation that became outstanding film of the year for presentation at the London Film Festival. In 1975, he illustrated four books “They Say...Ferdowsi” “The

Cover Design for “Abdolrazagh Pahlavan”, 1971

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Cover Design for “Abdolrazagh Pahlavan”, 1971

Cover Design for “Gordafarid”, 1973

Cover Design for “The Voyages of Sindbad the Sailor”, 1975

Cover Design for “Prophet’s Mother”, 1974

Cover Design for “Hero of Champions”, 1970

Cover Design for ”Contemplation is the Best Worship”, 1973

Cover Design for “ Be the Child of Your Time”, 1971

Cover Design for “They say... Ferdowsi”, 1975

Cover Design for “They are Alive”, 1975

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Cover Design for “Bronzsmiths”, 1974

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Cover Design for “Truth Higher than the Heavens”, 1974

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Cover Design for “Rise My Sun”, 1977

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Cover design for “Be Fire and Blaze”, 1978

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Cover Design for “Rain, Sun and Tile’s Story”, 1973

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Cover Design for “The Shade-Spreading Tree”, 1976

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Cover Design for “Abdolrazagh Pahlavan”, 1971

Seven Cities Animation

Sadeghi started making this film in 1970 when he had no idea how to make an animation. He started by researching and reading about animation and film directing hence Seven Cities might look the most naive of his films. Premiered in 1971, the film tells the story of an aged warrior, who travels numerous eras and places in form of different cities in search of love. Love according to Persian mystic poets has seven stages and in the seventh city the lover will find an insight to love. The warrior reaches the seventh city but finds it gloomy and obscure. He sits in the cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s main square and tells the story of his travels through the other cities where nature, primitive rituals, religion and industry influences the life of humankind. The film reflects the complicated stage of Iran when economical efflorescence had caused a mystic depression. Sadeghiâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s effort of using elements and styles of Persian painting is spectacular though it is also influenced by the psychedelic art movement of the time, aesthetically. 30

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1 . Cover Design for “Abdolrazagh Pahlavan”, 1971 2 . Cover Design for “Gordafarid”, 1973 3 . Cover Design for “The Voyages of Sindbad the Sailor”, 1975

Seven Cities Animation

Sadeghi’s second film made in 1972, advances his style by accentuating on modern usage of Persian miniatures. The story gets along with the hippie ambience of 1970’s. Flower storm tells of the inhabitants of two towns who live in peace and harmony until their kings start to fight over a bird they both have shot down while hunting. War breaks out but the children of the town during the night, substitute flowers for cannon balls. There is not a battle but a flower storm. 1. 2. 3. 4.

Seven Cities Animation

Boasting is the most political film of Ali Akbar Sadeghi. The film is a reflection of the tumultuous socio-political state of Iran in early 1970’s among different political parties. Sadeghi prophecies the unification of all these parties and factions. The color of each party’s armaments reminds of Iran flag (red and green) and the different style of moustaches denotes the multi-racial population of Iran. As the golden dagger of the sunlight tore off the heart of the night, the warriors from the two ides came forward and the uproar made the pillars of the skies tremble. Before the fight, each warrior would set a foot forward, boasting I am the one who….

1 . Cover Design for “Abdolrazagh Pahlavan”, 1971 2 . Cover Design for “Gordafarid”, 1973 3 . Cover Design for “The Voyages of Sindbad the Sailor”, 1975

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Seven Cities Animation

The Sun King (Malek Khorshid) is a 1975 animated film by Ali Akbar Sadeghi. Based slightly on the story of “Amir Arsalan Namdar”, it follows a wealthy king who has everything a man could possibly want, except for love. One day, while exploring his palace, he discovers a painting of a beautiful woman with a blue rose, and becomes smitten with it. He goes on a journey in search of her, following where blue roses take him... Malek Khorshid is a tribute to Iranian fairy tales where there are thousands of dragons and demons on the way to love. Sadeghi’s usage of calligraphy in the background of the film is a strong reference to traditional fairy tale lithograph books in Farsi. 1977 Honorary Diploma, Festival International de Court Metrage pour la Juenesse, Paris.

1 . Cover Design for “Abdolrazagh Pahlavan”, 1971 2 . Cover Design for “Gordafarid”, 1973

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2 . Cover Design for “Gordafarid”, 1973

Cover Design for “Abdolrazagh Pahlavan”, 1971 Cover Design for “Gordafarid”, 1973 Cover Design for “The Voyages of Sindbad the Sailor”, 1975 Cover Design for “Abdolrazagh Pahlavan”, 1971 Cover Design for “Gordafarid”, 1973

Seven Cities Animation

Rook established Sadeghi’s style in referencing Persian painting and miniature. The chessboard acts as witness to a game in progress. The players move their pieces until two kings remain. They continue by playing a game of chess from the beginning which is a metaphor of ongoing political power games. The humorous piece of animation looks at the absurdity of war, politics and stance of society in between these notions.

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Seven Cities Animation

Based on one of the most famous Shahnameh stories, Zal & Simorgh was made in 1977 as Sadeghi’s last film. The film is an effort to glorify ancient Iran and explore the relation of a father and son. Fearing people’s judgements, Sam the father who had never seen an albino, leaves Zal, his albino son in the mountains. Simorgh – Persian name of phoenix – finds the hungry baby and takes him to its nest.

1 . Cover Design for “Abdolrazagh Pahlavan”, 1971 2 . Cover Design for “Gordafarid”, 1973

1 . Cover Design for “Abdolrazagh Pahlavan”, 1971 2 . Cover Design for “Gordafarid”, 1973 3 . Cover Design for “The Voyages of Sindbad the Sailor”, 1975

Due to the Iranian revolution of 1979, he stopped working for the Institute for Intellectual Development of Children and Young Adults. During this time he began working on a series of oil paintings with the title “Myth and Math” and changed Vitrail Gallery’s name to Sabz Gallery. In 1983, his third son, Ashkan was born. In 1985, he illustrated a book entitled “Victory” for the institute for Intellectual Development of Children and Young Adults. In 1987, began working on his watercolour series and continued with this extensive collection until 200. In 1989, ‘Sabz Gallery’ changed from being a studio to an art gallery presenting works by prominent and emerging artists. In 1990, he was awarded with the Leipzig Book Award for the design of “Contemplation is the Best Worship”. In 1992, his collection of drawings was published in a book entitled “Alphbets” with philosophical analysis of Nader Ebrahimi. In 1998, his collection of oil paintings was published in a book entitled “Ali Akbar Sadeghi”.

1 . Cover Design for “Abdolrazagh Pahlavan”, 1971

Love & War Collection

Sadeghi’s works are inundated with narration, stories of endearment and heroism, some as sweet as legendary love stories and some as vicious as old Persian accounts of bereavement and war. Love & War is also a selection of pieces directly inspired by Ferdowsi ’s The Book of Kings (Shahnameh). The Love & War series were created in early 1970. He set these series aside at that time due to a carrier shift from being an illustrator to an animator.

Indeed, this distinction comes quite late. To begin with man saw himself as like the animals and this attitude persists to this day in hunting peoples with their primitive man is, no less than duels, feuds and war, a form of transgression”. This idea is also pictured in works from “unwritten” where we see battlefields and hunting scenes in a grotesque setting.

However, in 2005 he went back and was inspired by the Love & War series and began retouching those scenes again. They eventually became the backbone of his new series like “Camouflage” and “Unwritten”. The mutual foundation in many of the pieces of “Love and War” is the act of killing. This act can happen in a melodramatic love scene or in an ideological war. The act of killing is portrayed as a primitive ritual in this body of work and reminds one of Georges Bataille’s quote: “In feuds and duels, and in war, it is a man’s death that occurs, although the law forbidding killing is earlier than the distinction felt by man between himself and the larger animals.

1 . Cover Design for “Abdolrazagh Pahlavan”, 1971

1 . Cover Design for “Abdolrazagh Pahlavan”, 1971 2 . Cover Design for “Gordafarid”, 1973

Whispers Collection

Whispers are known between ordinary people as greeting cards, posters and books. This exquisite collection was painted in a very dark time and it was the fantasy and color of these works in contrast with their time that magnified the beauty of them. The series became so popular that caused a trend in the industry of decorative posters and greeting cards. For many years, whatever in this genre produced was very similar to Sadeghi’s style. “When”, he remarks, “I feel relieved from the tensions that lead me to surrealist painting, I turn to watercolour in my moments of spiritual quietude”.

1 . Cover Design for “Abdolrazagh Pahlavan”, 1971

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1 . Cover Design for “Abdolrazagh Pahlavan”, 1971 2 . Cover Design for “Gordafarid”, 1973

Cover Design for “Abdolrazagh Pahlavan”, 1971 Cover Design for “Gordafarid”, 1973 Cover Design for “The Voyages of Sindbad the Sailor”, 1975 Cover Design for “Prophet’s Mother”, 1974 Cover Design for “Abdolrazagh Pahlavan”, 1971 Cover Design for “Abdolrazagh Pahlavan”, 1971

Myth & Math Collection

To those who asked me the way I said, “You have your way. I have my way. As for the right way, the correct way, and the only way, it does not exist” - Nietzsche -

Ali Akbar Sadeghi is without a doubt a “philosopher artist”. He paints philosophical thoughts and emotions the way another artist paints landscapes and is considered a “landscape artist”, or paints social injustices and is considered a “social artist” But why call him a “philosopher artist” instead of an “artist philosopher”? Because while Ali Akbar Sadeghi is consumed by philosophical thoughts and emotions, which he expresses through his art using color and form, he is not an artist who philosophizes about his artistic creations. Calling someone who thinks philosophically a philosopher does not necessarily mean he is a professional philosopher who spends entire days studying philosophical texts. It is possible to label one who thinks philosophically, and who expresses these thoughts through his actions or cultural contributions, a philosopher, without claiming he is on par with Plato, Descartes, Hegel, Heidegger or the like. Thinking philosophically may lead to reading philosophical texts, becoming a teacher of

1 . Cover Design for “Abdolrazagh Pahlavan”, 1971 2 . Cover Design for “Gordafarid”, 1973

philosophy, and ultimately a philosopher. However, not everyone who thinks about the depth of life, the meaning of life, being and existence, the boundless unknowable, the truth of being, the difference between truth and fact, and the beginning and the end, is necessarily a professional philosopher. Nonetheless, he can definitely be considered a layman philosopher. An “Iranian” person – sophisticated but not necessarily educated – is generally a philosophic person due to historic, social, cultural and even natural circumstances. He sometimes speaks of simple yet deep truths, as if he is Nietzsche, struggling with the complexities of life. Ali Akbar Sadeghi is a true “philosopher artist” but not in the same sense as Plato. He is like Khayyam, a “philosopher poet” expressing his philosophical tensions in the form of poetry.

1 . Cover Design for “Abdolrazagh Pahlavan”, 1971 2 . Cover Design for “Gordafarid”, 1973

1 . Cover Design for “Abdolrazagh Pahlavan”, 1971 2 . Cover Design for “Gordafarid”, 1973 3 . Cover Design for “The Voyages of Sindbad the Sailor”, 1975

1 . Cover Design for “Abdolrazagh Pahlavan”, 1971 2 . Cover Design for “Gordafarid”, 1973

1 . Cover Design for “Abdolrazagh Pahlavan”, 1971

Between years 2000-2002 he painted the series “Coalitions”. n 2001, Sabz gallery relocated to Gheytarieh area in the north of Tehran, and once again became Ali Akbar Sadeghi’s personal studio and gallery. In 2003 he made the animation “Coalition” in collaboration with Alireza Kavian Rad and won the Iranian and foreign Special Jury Prizes at the Institute for the Intellectual Development of Children and Young Adults’ festival in 2004. Between years 2004-2005 he painted the “Nail” series. In 2006, he went through a severe depression and was unable to paint, he instead engaged himself with conceptual art and writing Dadaist poetry. From 2007 to 2008 he painted the “Rebirth” series in order to break out of his depression. From 2010 to 2011 a new series titled “Camouflage” was painted. In 2012, the book “Ali Akbar Sadeghi- Memories from Childhood to Present and His Collection of Drawings” was published. Since 2011 to 2015 he has painted the series “Love and War”, “Unwritten”, “Lost in Fame” and “Retell”. Ali Akbar Sadeghi currently, lives and works in his Gheytarieh studio in Tehran.

1 . Cover Design for “Abdolrazagh Pahlavan”, 1971

Coalition Collection

General, your tank is a powerful vehicle It smashes down forests and crushes men But it has one defect: It needs a driver General, your bomber is powerful It flies faster than a storm and carries more than an elephant But it has one defect: It needs a mechanic General, man is very useful He can fly and he can kill But he has one defect: He can think Bertolt Brecht Germany (1898-1956)

1 . Cover Design for “Abdolrazagh Pahlavan”, 1971 2 . Cover Design for “Gordafarid”, 1973 3 . Cover Design for “The Voyages of Sindbad the Sailor”, 1975

Nail Collection

Nails perhaps was the result of Ali Akbar Sadeghi’s spiritual transformation. As an adolescent he worked at a carpenter’s workshop and learnt the craft, which he has referred to on various occasions throughout his career. Nails is a continuation of the artist’s experimental approach in art making, adding nails to his iconic subjects as elements which both have personal nostalgic references while at the same time combining installation, painting, subject and the notion of what we contemplate as a 2D image. In these thought provoking works the artist has covered his historic figure’s faces with nails. The artist recalls that he was going through a severe emotional period while he was hammering nails into the faces on his canvases. One wonders whether he was torturing himself by pushing nails into his own face.

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Rebirth Collection

Rebirth is Sadeghi’s effort to fall in love with painting once again. After few years of depression when he was not able to pick up his brush to paint, Sadeghi came back to push his paintings’ boundaries by spinning canvases and questioning the direction and composition of an art work. His style in this body of work is a flashback to his earlier works from 1970’s which are more stylized, bright and colorful and joyfully sharp. This style was developed and resulted in his many other collections. The works can be described as similar to phantasmagoric dreams, intensified by the 20th century surrealism art movement and characterised by incongruous juxtapositions with fantastic imagery under the realm of Iranian iconography and of Persian cultural motifs, signs and myths. The splendid compositions present a kaleidoscope of colours and emotions.

1 . Cover Design for “Abdolrazagh Pahlavan”, 1971 2 . Cover Design for “Gordafarid”, 1973

1 . Cover Design for “Abdolrazagh Pahlavan”, 1971 2 . Cover Design for “Gordafarid”, 1973 3 . Cover Design for “Gordafarid”, 1973

1 . Cover Design for “Abdolrazagh Pahlavan”, 1971 2 . Cover Design for “Gordafarid”, 1973

The Game Collection

Being in a state of depression, Sadeghi could not paint between the years 2005 to 2006. Meanwhile he was writing poems (The Lost Book) and trying to depict the scenes and acts he used to paint in a literary format. Aside from those poems, Sadeghi became interested in using found objects to make art. Worn out shoes, old flower pots and vases, broken chairs… all became his blank canvas and he expressed his craftsmanship skills to transform them into art pieces. His sentimental approach in this body of work is significant; he tries to ascend all the junk and rubbish he finds into a sublime state. Again Sadeghi’s black humour disseminates strong as a hung jacket or peculiar chess boards.

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1 . Cover Design for “Abdolrazagh Pahlavan”, 1971 2 . Cover Design for “Gordafarid”, 1973

Camouflage Collection

Death is the most terrible thing of all and the greatest strength is demanded to keep death’s work going Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel. 1770-1831

In these series, Clusters of soldiers holding folded or unfolded umbrellas are metaphorically trying to be hidden from an external world. Here is Pleasantville where the heroes of the artist do not appear to be fighting the evils of the world, they are either frozen in time or seem to be engaged in their own internal conflict and banishment. Camouflage was painted during a critical time in the history of the 21st century when destruction implied the synthesis of power. The heroes of the painting, are sterile and barren as an anti thesis to the destructive thesis. The meticulous detailing, intricate scenes and the subject matter -often heroes in full gear- follow the traditions of miniature battlefield and war painting. At close inspection all warriors are in one way or another self-portraits.

1 . Cover Design for “Abdolrazagh Pahlavan”, 1971 2 . Cover Design for “Gordafarid”, 1973

Caligraphorm Collection

1. Cover Design for “Abdolrazagh Pahlavan”, 1971 2. Cover Design for “Gordafarid”, 1973

In this collection the artist is undoubtedly inspired by Persian calligraphy in which the fluid motion of cursive Nas’taliq technique transforms into natural species, one forms a flock of bird and the other takes the shape of weaving horses waiting to be freed from the canvas. In such linguistic and metaphorical transition the boundary between calligraphy in a literal sense and painting is completely erased, the two forms emrging into a singular entity. Since the 1960’s traditional calligraphy has been a source of inspiration for Iranian modernists and Sadeghi gave it tribute many times in his earlier graphic works and particularly his animations such as in the opening of “Boasting” and the backgrounds of “The Sun king”, to name a few. In 2012 he revived his calligraphic visions by referring to “Tash’eer” style, a miniature school that tangles the figure of animals and plants to illuminate manuscripts and muraqas ; but Sadeghi brings these figures from the margin to the center and recreates their body with words. His ever-present humor is a non-detachable element of the series.

Unwritten Collection

The Unwritten series includes nine works that like a full-length mirror reflect Ali Akbar Sadeghi’s worldview over several decades of artistic work. In a way this series can be seen as a culmination and combination of several periods of the artist’s career. Before reviewing and analyzing these works, one must first describe how the artist’s modern world came to be, and how it co nects with Iran’s ancient myths and culture. Almost concurrently with Sadeghi’s graduation from the School of Fine Arts at Tehran University, a well known group of Iranian modernists began to move in a new direction, integrating “folk” aesthetics with international modern achievements. This eventually resulted in two new forms of Iranian modernism: Saqqakhaneh, and NaghashiKhat -calligraphy painting- Some of Sadeghi’s paintings include elements of the Saqqakhaneh School; nevertheless, in the history of Iranian art, he is not considered part of this movement. Sadeghi even avoided using calligraphy in the heavily nationalized atmosphere of the 1960s, yet his works consistently have a local character, seeking a national identity, without being part of any par-

ticular movement of Iran’s visual art scene. The main feature of the Unwritten series is the use of a great number of cultural icons and symbols, as well as references to Iranian narratives.Most of these symbols primarily refer to miniatures, lithographs, and Coffe House Paintings.They also allude to stories from classical Iranian literature as well as cultural folklore. Without question Sadeghi has a great understanding of Iranian art in different historic periods. The perspective he uses in some of the works in the Unwritten series is influenced by Iranian paintings that concurrently depict different places and times. This is particularly true of “Four Gardens”, and “Forbidden Love”. In this style, the artist delicately depicts two or more events in order to create a multi layered, polyphonic narrative.Perhaps this is a type of insightful cubism, only present in Iranian painting. In his depiction of animals he is reminiscent of the illustrations of books such as Kelileh o Demneh , and perhaps Sovar ol Kavakeb And at times his images evoke poetic hunting scenes. The other important characteristic of these works is the artist’s use of different “types” in his portrayal 67

1 . Cover Design for “Abdolrazagh Pahlavan”, 1971 2 . Cover Design for “Gordafarid”, 1973

of the people present in his works, which is similar to historic miniatures.Sadeghi made self-portraits during many of his different periods, particularly his Myth & Math Series. But in this series, except for the piece depicting the artist’s seventy fifth birthday, he does not use self-portraits at all. Instead, like it was common to do in miniatures, he uses different facial “types” to depict different levels of society, as well as different characters. For instance he uses particular types to depict kings, soldiers, dancers, musicians, and the like, without much concern for naturalism. Overall, Sadeghi has been influenced by miniatures in different phases of his career, whether making animations, or creating graphic design, illustrations, or paintings. In addition to the influence of traditional Iranian painting, an analysis of Sadeghi’s style in the Unwritten series also reveals the artist’s preoccupation with Persian lithographs. Lithography replaced handwritten calligraphy texts during the reign of Fathali Shah Qajar. Initially lithography books did not include any illustrations. But given the tradition of book illustration in Iran, 68

1 . Cover Design for “Abdolrazagh Pahlavan”, 1971 2 . Cover Design for “Gordafarid”, 1973

and the audience’s predilection for these types of books, very soon illustrations were added to lithographs as well. Colored lithographs were never printed in Iran. Illustrated books, like Sadeghi’s monochrome images in this series, included monochrome hatchings. Most of the portraits in the Unwritten series are done in this technique, therefore the use of color in these works is limited, and almost none have any tonality. It should be noted that readers of lithograph books would sometimes “color in” the illustrations by hand. The result would be something similar to the use of color in “Wedlock” and “King’s Ballet”. At the same time that lithographs were being printed in Iran, Coffee House Paintings were also becoming popular. In fact after traditional painting and lithographs, Sadeghi’s third source of inspiration is Coffee House Paintings, particularly in their structure and content. The large size of the pieces in this series -disregarding the detailed characteristics of miniatures present in them- make the work similar to large Coffee House Paintings canvases, which unlike illustrated books, are intended to be seen from the front and at a distance. Like glorious Cof71

fee House Paintings, the paintings in this series depict parallel narratives and related stories in one setting; and like them include signs and symbols of battles, epics, and heroes. It is impossible to “read” Sadeghi’s work in this series without an understanding of Iranian classic and folk literature. With his familiarity with stories, epics and myths, Sadeghi depicts electrifying scenes of battle, and glorious royal feasts in all their detail. His work sometimes makes references to Classic literature such as Ferdowsi’s Shahnameh, and Nezami’s Khamseh, and sometimes hints at common Iranian tales like One Thousand and One Nights. These works take familiar narratives and tales, and transform them from their oral and written form into visual imagery. Through this process common stories find shape, and their songs find echoes. Sadeghi sits the king upon a throne, adorns the armor of his troops, and hands his musicians lutes and viols. Then he creates small signs full of impact and humor, and surprises the viewer with their dramatic placement. It is thus that Unwritten becomes a unified whole, using a visual form to express a polyphonic collage of Iranian culture, art, and literature.

1 . Cover Design for “Abdolrazagh Pahlavan”, 1971

Lost in Fame Collection

The most recognizable element of these series is the presence of world famous sculptures by artists such as Picasso, Degas, Rodin, Michaelangelo, Henry Moore and the painting by Munch, “The Scream” in which Ali Akbar’s signature characters starts to manipulate their existence. One censors nudity and one crushes its surroundings. The other metaphor in this body of work is an invasion of western culture of Iranian intellectuals which is represented by clusters of Polish chairs. “Polish chairs” have been for decades an element of Tehran’s intellectual cafés. This cultural juxtaposition illustrates a naïve composition that integrated in 20th century’s Iranian mannerism. The consequences are nothing but a deep silence embedded loudly in these paintings. One censored and the others asleep.

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7 . Cover Design for “Abdolrazagh Pahlavan”, 1971 8 . Cover Design for “Gordafarid”, 1973

Lost in Fame Collection

This collection shifted dramatically from the ways Sadeghi creates art. In these works he began to retell his stories but this time by reviewing the animations he made in 1970s. Each piece is a reproduction of related animation from his collection of original film cells that assembled to form a collage painting. Each painting portrays its narration in a static square frame with filled with animated movement studies and colours. The entire rearrangement is composed of all the animation’s characters gathered together to retell the story once again, but in a static layout. In fact, the genre that Sadeghi started with “Nails” and later “Game” and “Camouflage”, evolves into a kitsch presentation with Sadeghi’s cinematic assets. His stylized miniatures are a direct reference to the school whose exquisite characteristics he has exploited for many decades.

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Ali Akbar Sadeghi Holding His 12 Years Old Picture in His Gheytarieh Studio, Tehran, Photo by Ashkan Sadeghi, 2016

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