Conceptual Art

“Conceptual Art” is a contemporary from of artistic representation, in which a specific concept or idea-often personal, complex and inclusive-takes shape in an abstract, nonconforming manner based upon a negation of aesthetic principles. Conceptual art is different from the “concept” as the content of art, but can be considered an abstract from of the idea and perception of the artwork originating in the artist’s mind, which is later displayed in a proposed structure and a variety of forms. Hence a conceptual work of art, in view of its general purpose and the relative aspects of its components, has unalterable qualities. And consequently, for the artists of this movement, the definitions of art and artwork and their relation to humanity, the environment and aesthetics are in the process of re-evaluation, from a standpoint apart from modernism.

Through the employment of diverse techniques – minimalism, performance art, installation, etc. -conceptual artists have essentially sought to reinterpret what Pop artists first presented in a disorganized manner and with no basis in art theory. In fact, by defining the concept of an object in various ways, and through linguistic presentation and written explanations, they have directly questioned the very essence and nature of art-its mental and imagined aspects being a matter of no consequence. In Conceptual Art, the relationship between the artist, the artwork and the viewer has been transformed. A work of “Conceptual Art” is not a mere narration of nature in its many forms; the artist, through personal inference, utilizes the available elements of expression to depict not only the nature of objects, but often political, social and technological subjects as well. In many cases, the spectators and at times the artists themselves are integral parts of the artwork and its basic concept. This form of artistic expression will presumably occur in a society where the predominance of modernism has undergone every form of modern approach, signaling the decline of methods and approaches established by modernism in art. Thus, without an understanding of approaches, a tendency to explore and adequate knowledge of the developments of modern art, “Conceptual Art” and its various manifestations will only be an altered version of the original form. Yet in reality, the developments of art are unpredictable and it appears that an obsession with passing fads has overtaken the art of the postmodern society.

Structured upon diversity, novelty, individualism and a rejection of past traditions, modernism gave rise to the numerous styles and schools in Western art, each adding to the stability and maturation of modern art. Though the content and form is considered to be a result of historic developments in Western art, especially since the Renaissance, modernism unavoidably contradicts its preceding artforms. For, each new experience could potentially be a valid and more comprehensive example of original art.

What was believed to be the investigative and innovative aspect of modern art, and of its pioneers, apparently came to an end in the first half of the twentieth century; the modernism that had renounced museums and their values produced other museums instead. With the onest of the Second World War and the migration of European artists, the centre of Western art shifted to , producing new developments. While these developments were founded upon the basic precepts of the modern masters and the results considered the zenith of modern art, they nonetheless provoked a complete disintegration of classic modernism. The generation of postwar artists created works of psychotic boldness, revealing not only the natural evolution of modernism, but its destruction and termination as well.

As the tragedy of war and its ensuing social and economical crises drew to an end, conditions for economic growth came about, and postwar artistic standards could no longer remain restricted to the form and content of modernism. With the rise of social and individual hedonism, immorality, consumerism, and the dissolution of human values in the name of democracy, modernism could no longer reflect the perplexity, futility and obscure inner turmoil of the post-modern society. The last outcome of modernism was to be seen in the diverse, yet aesthetically and conceptually disorganized works of the Pop Art movement. And at this stage, alongside the experiences of Pop artists, other movements gradually emerged that proclaimed the end of the era of the “ism”s of modernism. With the advent of new artistic currents in the 1960’s, the form and content of an artwork and its relation to humanity and the environment was once again a matter of dispute. Artists were utilising the latest technological advances in expressing their concepts. The ability to magnetically record image and sound, and display the recorded material on any number of screen, brought “Video Art” into visual art exhibitions. In 1965 the Minimalists, inspired by geometric abstraction, utilized the simplest forms and masses conceivable in industrial compositions, striving to have the greatest possible effect on a viewer through the least possible modification in form. The art of “Installation” – which had appeared early in the twentieth century as a direct resulf of modernism’s attempt to flee the constraints of traditional easel painting-now gained widespread use as visual artists sought to expand their working space and large-scale works appropriate to their space and function were created.

In 1968, a group of English artists known as the “Art & Language Group” gathered to discuss theory and practice in relation to artistic creativity. This group denied the “art for art’s sake” approach and the methods derived from modernism, believing the source of meaning in the visual arts to be language, and therefore featured words and written explanations in their works. Joseph Kosuth (1945) was a member of this group, who used written text on different levels; in “One and Three Chairs”, he combined a real chair, a life-size image of the chair and a dictionary entry of the word questioning the reality of his subject matter and the work of art.

During these years a number of artists in left their studios to make use of the vast expanses available in nature: oceans, deserts, farmlands and sites that were inaccessible. These works are categorized as “Land Art”, works erected on a grand scale that covered large areas, but eventually fell apart through gradual exposure to the elements. The transient quality of this art, symbolizing the mutual passion of man and nature, was reminiscent of the legendary memories and myths of human life passed down from ancient history.

On the other hand, there were those who found the human body the most suitable medium for communicating with the audience of an artwork. At times combining the qualities of visual art, body movements and acting skill; at times affecting violence and revolting behavior towards the human body-frequently performed by the artist in a manner intended to shock-the proponents of this artform introduced their concepts. This art has appeared as “Performance Art”, “Happening” and “Body Art”.

Thus “Conceptual Art”, which began as a movement among the many artistic trends of the sixties-conceived to demonstrate precedence of the artist’s envisioned concept over the technique employed for its presentation-was found to encompass far more than its contemporary movements, and was a major influence on later trends. So great was this effect that while many of these artforms possess distinct characteristic and individual names, they are collectively based on the aesthetic viewpoints of Conceptual Art.

“ The First Exhibition of Iranian Conceptual Art” also showcases a wide variety of approaches based upon the precedence of the artistic concept in media ranging from installation to performance.

In recent years, the possibilities of multimedia art have intrigued many young Iranian artists, inspiring them to exhibit their creativity and artistic skill in many different styles. They have even held individual and group exhibitions, but many of these works- due to their inconsistency with the trends of contemporary Iranian art and its audience, and also their unoriginal techniques fell short of success and proved damaging to the foundations of contemporary artistic growth. There were however more serious works among these and while they may seem insignificant when compared to other artistic activities of the recent years, they demonstrate the preoccupations of another generation of contemporary Iranian artists, who as well as maintaining the attributes of “contemporary art”, are searching for artistic concepts with indigenous structures and elements. It should be mentioned that a number of innovative Iranian artists of the 1970’s did create works that could be classified as Conceptual Art, but the movement was not a lasting one, and post-revolutionary social and cultural shifts prevented its establishment in the art world.

The present exhibition, mainly presenting the creative artwork of young Iranian artists, hopes to create the required circumstances for artistic activity and the opportunity to demonstrate the various manifestations of contemporary art; a showcase of the visual arts of contemporary Iran at a level corresponding to the capabilities of Iranian artists and leading to a conformity with the national arts of Iran.