BAGH-E NAZAR
Year:2016 | Volume:12 | Issue:36|Papers Count:6

Given the position of water and its symbolic function in ancient beliefs and Islamic sources, the paper aims to explore and analyze the visual effects of the invaluable element in Haft Awrang miniatures by Ibrahim Mirza. In addition to the study of conceptual aspect of water in this set, the existence of diverse layouts in the display of different forms of water provides suitable foundation for conducting a formal study into it. The aim of the paper is to recognize different layouts of water and explore the reasons for the diversity, as well as the conceptual function of water in these works; furthermore, it aims to illustrate how the diversity could made a difference to the suitable structure and composition and also better understanding of Jami’s lyrics. The results of the research, which was conducted in a descriptive analytical method, indicate that patient artist used certain forms in depicting water based on theme and place of story in order to get across meaning and concept under consideration better and establish a better match between form and content of work, since Haft Awrang paintings substantially depend on the literary text of Haft Awrang. Diversity of water effects in a variety of miniatures at times benefits the general structure of the miniature and works as an influential factor in matching various elements of it; in some instances, how it is positioned and the choice of a good and purposeful position for it in the miniature board could assist artist in communicating meaning and concept.

The few existing shrines with wall drawings are being reined or have been ruined completely. This problem creates double necessity of protection of these works. The holy shrine of Pinchah Village at Astaneh Ashrafieh with the religious wall drawings is one of them. This question is propounded: Do the wall drawings of the mentioned shrine have the visual concepts of good and evil? From the research findings we can mention numerous visual similarities in recreation of good personalities, visual differences of good and evil contents and also creation of native wall drawings by the drawer. The data were collected by field method and compiled by descriptive- analytic method.

Land art, as a style of "New art", has been creating artworks with a modern, and then postmodern approach, since the 60’s. This environmental art works were, at first, located in desserts, jungles, mountains and other remote sites. Therefore they could attract only art lovers. With the help of the methods and tricks of the environmental art, and also the philosophy of Postmodernism, land art also, was able to be transferred from the remote locations of its birth, to the places which were more interesting to a wide range of common audience. They have been able to gather more and more observers since then, because the new locations were inside the towns and cities, on the streets, road and pavements, where people pass through every day. In this way the artist could interact with his audience in a very deeper and more influential way. It is obvious that, it is the postmodern philosophy of art that has helped common people to know and understand art. With the help of this new ideology, art has come closer to people and is no more particular to a specific art educated audience. Land art, therefore has been lucky enough to be born in Modernism and raise and develop through postmodern era of art. This has helped it gain more interaction of the observers. Thus the scope of land art widened, and today as we can notice, many arts related to land, could be placed in this zone. Painting the earth has been taken into a huge consideration in contemporary times, as could be seen in the work of ground graffiti artists. But the truth is that, it’s a kind of art that has long been popular among many old nations including the Hindus and their traditional customs, such as Kolam. This traditional art which is also known as Rangoli, is very common among Hindu people in India, Pakistan, Nepal, Bengal, Malaysia, and where ever Indian culture is current. The tradition of creating kolams is held in everyday life of Indian people, and also on national and religious festivals such as, Deepawali, Pongal and also during occasions such as marriage events, auspicious customs and other similar milestones and gatherings. They are meant to be sacred welcoming locations for the Hindu deities, which keep both the tradition and the art form alive. Similar practices are followed in different states of India: Kolam in Tamil Nadu; Muggu in Andhra Pradhesh; Mandana in Rajasthan; Chaookpurna in Chhattisgarh; Alpana in West Bengal; Golam kolam in Kerala; Chowk pujan in Uttar Pradhesh and others. Kolam is a drawing with colored powders on the ground of the front doors of Hindu houses. They were done with rice flour at ancient times, on a dark ground which was colored with cow’s dungeon. Their purpose is to decorate and also to bring good luck. They are believed to give boons to the people who create them and also to the pedestrians who walk over them. Therefore people who are to visit the members of a house, or are walking on the sidewalk, deliberately walk through the Kolam designs, which are renewed time by time during the day. Design depictions may also vary as they reflect traditions, folklore and practices that are unique to each area. It is traditionally done by women. As these traditional designs look like the new versions of arts done by contemporary artists on the ground, the hypothesis of this paper is established on this subject. This fundamental research is to create a new vision towards the traditional arts as a whole, and also a new vision towards the traditional Kolam as a new land art specifically. To gain this purpose, this descriptive analytical article, has documented data through library resources. By analyzing the clearest, the most popular and the newest features of new art (according to the daily development of media), and matching them with the characteristics of Kolam, it can be stated that, Kolam designs could be considered as land art, and therefore sometime, some of the traditional arts could be considered parallel to new arts; as they match the characteristics of art of contemporary era. Kolams are made on ground; are displayed out of the walls of museums; are renewed every so often; and as the audience deliberately across them to gain boon, it can be said that, the audience interact with these designs. Due to these similarities (and more) which are discussed in the body, the hypothesis of the paper could be proved out.

Shaykh Muhammed (active 1530s-90s), who was Safavid painter and calligrapher left no clear trace of his association with Safavid kings, However, historical evidence having been obtained from reliable sources confirms that an important part of the artistic activities of Shaykh Muhammed served Sultan Ibrahim Mirza - nephew of Shah Tahmasp- (prince governed in Mashhad over a thirteen-year period -962/1554-55 to 970/1562-63 and 973/1565- 66 to 974/1566-67). Qazi Ahmad reports that Shaykh Muhammed worked for the prince in Mashhad, where author and artist undoubtedly knew each other. Iskandar Beg Munshi, on the other hand, states that the artist entered Ibrahim Mirza’s employ in Sabzivar. Munshi Budaqi Qazvini mentions that the artist was with Sultan Ibrahim Mirza only in Khurasan. The recorded oeuvre of Shaykh Muhammed, consisting of several signed tinted drawings, and paintings, supplemented by a large number of attributed works, confirms the artist’s virtuosity and versatility even within the same media. Considering the fact that some attributes of Shaykh Muhammed’s works are attention to reality, separation from literature and treatment of the subjects of routine life, the main question to be answered in this article is: can a trace be found in his signed and attributed works to prove the relationship between him and the patronizing Safavid Sultan? To answer this question, three illustrations attributed to Shaykh Muhammed from the Sultan Ibrahim Mirza’s Haft Awrang (Seven thrones) and commonly known as the Freer Jami and a double page frontispiece in the six Masnavis of Jami (An incomplete Haft Awrang) attributed to Shaykh Muhammed that is kept in the library of Topkapi Sarayi, are presented and analyzed. The method of study is descriptive- analytical via library research. Two main pursues of this article are: 1- finding evidence regarding the attribution of paintings to Shaykh Muhammed and 2- exploring the connection between Shaykh Muhammed and his patron. The results of this study show that these paintings have similarities with other works which were attributed to or signed by Shaykh Muhammed. There are indeed certain affinities between Shaykh Muhammed’s paintings of elegant kneeling youths and the unsigned double page frontispiece in the six Masnavis of Jami. He also implicitly illustrates part of the story behind a literary narrative. The iconographies of these works seem to be related directly to the prince and specifically to his marriage to Gawhar Sultan Khanim. When the bride and her entourage arrived in Mashhad, Qazi Ahmad reports, several months of celebration followed until the marriage was consummated. In this way, Shaykh Muhammed has expressed his devotion to and association with his patron.

Based on the idea of order nature, Alexander1 regards all the phenomena of universe in living structures and nonliving structures and takes the patterns of living structures in terms of total whole and strong centers. This theory is formed as 15 interrelated characters of strong centers.Regarding the opinions of Persian garden researchers, Persian garden is a cultural phenomenon interwoven with different natural elements and artifacts based on geometrical sets. The attention to the recognition of total whole and explanation of strong centers can bring about a new look at Persian garden.The question of the research is extent of generality of Alexander`s theory in Chaharbagh and selected gardens in Isfahan studied in analytic method with quality approach.The results of the research show that the features of living structures such as level of scale, strong centers, boundaries, alternating repetition, and etc. are adaptable with selected gardens of Isfahan relatively but their roles are not the same while Level of scale, strong centers, positive space, alternating repetition, echoes, boundaries and good shape play greater role in creating life. Chaharbagh is of greater life as a public space and the role of strong centers, contrast, not – separation and roughness is seen to be greater.

In the twentieth century after the advent of republicanism in Turkey, nationalistic and regional approaches were at odd s with approaches influenced by the West in search of Turkish identity in architectural works. For this reason, this interested Turkish architectures to pay attention to their native architecture and urbanism during Ottoman era. In this context, traditional houses came to the fore as the key to achieving Turkish identity in architecture in the course of the second nationalist movement in modern times, and thereafter it was developed by following generation of Turkish architectures. The acclaimed modern features lying in the architecture of the houses and customs representing the Turkish civil identity have turned them into a symbol of contemporary Turkish identity in this course of action. Ottoman tradition of house construction and its effect on Turks’ architecture in the course of the second nationalist movement in Turkey’s contemporary architecture have made the study of Turkish architectures’ transition from tradition to modernity a significant issue, which is addressed in this paper. The results of the seminal works by the second nationalist leaders as to Turkey’s architecture were here approached in terms of how they were impressed by the architecture of Ottoman traditional houses, which were divided into three categories and the architectural characteristics of each of them were analyzed and compared.