Document Type : Research Paper
Authors
1
PhD Student in The Comparative and Analytical History of Islamic Art, Faculty of Art, Shahed University, Tehran, Iran.
2
Associate Professor, Department of Painting, Faculty of Art, Shahed University, Tehran, Iran.
Abstract
Introduction: Postmodernism, as a major intellectual and artistic current since the latter half of the twentieth century, has brought significant changes to different fields of knowledge and art. By questioning fixed concepts and established boundaries, it has encouraged pluralistic and eclectic approaches. In art, postmodernism challenged the separation of genres, emphasized play, a return to the past (neo-traditionalism), and synthesis (eclecticism), and questioned modernist elitism through an interest in popular culture. In Iranian art, this movement contributed to the emergence of new approaches, among which “calligraphy-painting” (Naqqashi-Khat) is particularly prominent. Rooted in Iranian calligraphic traditions and the Saqqakhaneh school, calligraphy-painting brings together tradition and innovation. This style, while preserving the essence of Persian calligraphy, has transformed it into a tool for painterly and visual expression. Examining postmodern characteristics in calligraphy-painting is therefore important because this practice connects indigenous identity with a broader global visual language. The growing presence and appeal of calligraphy-painting make it necessary to examine the approaches of its artists from a postmodern perspective. This research therefore focuses on identifying and analyzing postmodern characteristics in the works of contemporary Iranian calligraphy-painting artists.
Purposes & Questions: The study examines the works of three groups of active calligraphy-painting artists to identify forms of indigenous and local identity, the use of Iranian subcultures, and the relationship between the calligraphy-painting movement, tradition, and postmodernism. It addresses two questions: A) What creative methods have calligraphy-painting artists used to represent indigenous identity in their works? B) What postmodern characteristics can be identified in contemporary Iranian calligraphy-painting works?
Methods: In terms of its objective, this research is fundamental-theoretical and employs a descriptive-analytical approach. Data were collected through documentary and library research and field observation based on direct examination of artworks. The research population consists of 150 calligraphy-painting works by Iranian artists whose works contain components associated with postmodern art. The selected works cover the period from the 1940s and 1950s to the 1979 Revolution and the period from 1979 to the present. From this population, 12 prominent works were purposefully selected as the statistical sample. These works belong to six active artists, with two works selected from each artist, representing three target groups of calligraphy-painting artists. To answer the research questions, the works were first examined and classified according to their themes. They were then categorized further according to their structural features and correspondence with postmodern components.
Findings & Results: The findings indicate that contemporary Iranian calligraphy-painting, particularly in the works examined, contains a range of postmodern characteristics Regarding indigenous identity (Question A), the artists use neo-traditionalist and eclectic approaches by recreating Iranian calligraphic elements and visual forms within contemporary and global frameworks. These include drawing on traditional Nasta’liq and Shekasteh calligraphy in the works of Ahsaei, using authentic Iranian forms in the works of Jabari, reinterpreting ancient visual patterns in the works of Fathi, and combining Persian scripts with popular literature in the works of Rezaei. These approaches maintain a connection with Iranian artistic heritage while allowing the works to communicate beyond a purely local context, without simply imitating tradition or adopting imported modernity imitating tradition or adopting imported modernity regarding postmodern characteristics (Question B), the findings identify deconstruction through the separation of script from literal meaning and its use for visual and formal purposes, as seen in illegibility and abstraction; a return to the past through neo-traditionalism and eclecticism, combining calligraphic traditions with modern painting elements and new compositions; local and trans-local dimensions that combine indigenous identity with broader international communication; playfulness and humor through dynamic visual effects, humor, and colloquial language; attention to superficial and layered concepts, including kitsch and schlock, and the use of popular themes; discursivity, which allows continued dialogue among tradition, modernity, identity, and concept; and allegory and innuendo, which introduce ambiguity and multiple meanings by altering the function or legibility of script. Overall, the increasing presence of calligraphy-painting in global art markets and international art contexts has made these postmodern characteristics more evident. Such approaches bring different concepts together and help attract diverse audiences. The findings also show that a work does not need to contain all the characteristics of postmodernism to be considered postmodern; the presence of some of these characteristics may be sufficient.
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