Journal of Fine Arts: Performing Arts and Music
Year:2019 | Volume:24 | Issue:1 |Papers Count:11

Laura Mulvey is best known for her essay Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema (1975) that was a significant contribution to Film Theory, Psychoanalysis and Feminism. In the essay, she criticized the role of patriarchy in Hollywood cinema. Mulvey questioned the dominance of Patriarchal gaze in Hollywood Cinema regarding Lacan’ s Gaze Theory. She pointed out that the feminine presence in Hollywood movies tends to work in favor of male gaze rather than the flow of the story line. In Death 24 X a second: Stillness and The Moving Image (2006), she moves on from her early essay that focused on the pleasure and relations of power involved in the act of looking, to an interest in the impact of new technologies of spectatorship that allows the viewer to slow down and freeze movement of images. Mulvey states that the conversion of recorded information into a numerical system broke the material connection between the object and image. This connection is the result of the film’ s photographic basis and is shared with the medium of photography. Therefore, the relationship between Cinema and Photography comes to the fore. Mulvey confronts the fundamental paradox of cinema that is the emergence of an illusion of movement from the stillness of a series of photographs. This paradox was noted earlier by Jean Epstein as well. But Mulvey presents this paradox through some concepts of psychoanalysis namely Trauma, the Uncanny, and the Real. In addition, she reflects on the dialectic between indexicality in celluloid Cinema and algorithms of digital imaging. Mulvey is the first person to link Abbas Kiarostami’ s Cinema to the Lacanian concept of the Real. She explains that Kiarostami’ s unrepresented tragic earthquake is the same as the manner of the Real which is invisible, but has a significant presence. She argues that the tragic earthquake which destroyed the village is left intentionally unseen, unrepresented by Kiarostami in the following two films. The lack of any kind of representation leads into a situation where the traumatic event is invisible and unquestionable exactly in the same manner as Lacan describes the order of the Real which is not always accessible to direct experience. In addition, representation of the gaze is considered the result of the style of a filmmaker who is best known as a self-reflexive filmmaker. This article discusses the Cinema of Abbas Kiarostami through a Psychoanalytic perspective based on the contradiction of stillness and movement in Mulvey’ s film theory. The main issue to discuss is that how Mulvey considers the cinema of Kiarostami as delaying and immobilizing, while his use of car and consequently movement is a prominent feature of his cinematic style. The result is that Kiarostami’ s cars respond to a relational understanding of space in mobility and breaks away from the conventions of representation in which space is considered fixed and consequently carries specific and symbolic meanings. However, the sense of mobility emerged from a wandering car ends up to stillness through repetition and return that affect the spectator’ s memory.

"TOMBAK'' is the most important percussive instrument in classical music of Iran. This instrument is also known as: tonbak, tompak, donbak and dombak. About the physical structure of this instrument it worth is mentioning that two types of materials are common for the construction of the body: wood and metal, which the wooden type of the Tombak is customary in classical music and the metal type is more usual to use in folk music. The upper part of the instrument is covered up with animal’ s skin such as cow or camel. The performance of the Tombak involves both hands playing the same role and complementing each other’ s motions. Although it is common to use the cutaneous part of the instrument as the main source of getting sounds, the wooden part is also use for getting different timbre of sounds. Influential cultures which have influenced the new generations of playing Tombak (from the rhythmic aspects) are the rhythmic system of Indian, Arabian and Turkish classical music. The main problem facing Tombak players which causes failure to achieve desired result, is the lack of a coherent system in Rhythmic-Metric structures which according to the non-metric structure of this music, is not unexpected. Based on experiences and their perceptions, in comparison with other instruments, Tombak players usually play the role of a companion. The wide range of technical changes in Tombak has increased the importance of its quality and role in being a companion than before. The procedure of this changes from the Qajar period up to now can be analyzed in notation and also its (Tombak) repertory which are mentioned in samples. In order to achieve good and measurable results as in other branches of science, we can use successful experiences in this field (which emerged in every way) and after reviewing the data, a progressive result can solve these problems. The researches in this paper is descriptive. The original information and research data are obtained by the author through audio transcription and auditory audio from available works. The statistical society in this research include all the audio works companioned by Tombak in the classical music of Iran. Sampling is non-random and selective. In selecting pieces the author also used his personal experiences. A list of all those who have had significant on the style of playing Tombak and accompaniment, was provide and their works have been reviewed. Artists who have been examined, explained as fallow whom are separated by their style of playing: Hossein Tehrani, Mohammad Esmaeili – Naser Farhang Far, Jamshid Mohebi – Amir naser Eftetah, Bahman Rajabi – Jamshid Shemirani – Arzhang Kamkar – Pezhman Haddadi – Navid Afghah. The final results of the article are included as suggested rhythm and Tombak in the Tombak’ s accompaniment with other Iranian instruments, in the field of timing and form (shape) of the Tombak entrance at the beginning of the pieces, the figures, the rhythmic figure of tombak executive and other instruments, the techniques used by tombak, the bases of improvisation or not, the quantitative and qualitative of rhythm, the presence and role of borrowing divisions, Tombak rhythm line ratio with melody will happen in the final section and tempo.

Some critics believe that for analyzing a text we should rely only on the text and there is no need to go far from it to the social conditions and historical events. But Michel Foucault, the French philosopher, is the agent of those who consider the text as a result of social powers. Critical discourse analysis is a method by which we can conceive social and ideological aspects of texts of all types that never can be understood in other ways. The “ Discursive order” or the “ orders of discourse” is a critical term presented by Norman Fairclough, meaning the contiguity of different discourses even opposed or paradoxical. Discursive order embodies different discourses in similar fields. The theory of critical discourse analysis (CDA) is based on Michel Foucault. He believed that there is a relationship between power and ideology with language and it can be found even in advertisements, essays, clinical case studies and artistic texts like poems, stories and literature as a whole. Fairclough expanded this idea and established a practical and systematic framework based on linguistic, by which we can understand the juncture between power and ideological analogy with language. In this essay, we have chosen an Iranian play named “ Death of Yazdgerd” written by Bahram Beizaee for analysis by this method. This play is about Yazdgerd, the king from the Sassani dynasty, who escapes because of the Arabian assaults and seeks refuge at a mill and is ultimately killed by the miller. This is the historical narration about Yazdgerd, but we see many different possibilities about the end of Yazdgerd in the play. The miller, his wife and his daughter play different stories about the king but we cannot distinguish which one is true. The idea about the splendid history of the Iranian kings and also the opposite opinion which is about the injustices of those kings configure two discourses: the discourse of royalty and majesty of the past history of kings and the discourse of opposition with the past and welcoming the new changes. The play is written in 1987 which is simultaneous with the Islamic revolution in Iran. We compare the most dominant discourses of the play with the political and social situation of the time in which the play has been written and focus on the “ change” which is seen both in the play and in 1987 and the descent of the kings in both periods. The reason of this similarity between the two different historical periods is the huge gap between people and the kings. So we first explain Fairclough’ s theory in CDA and his frameworks, then we choose the most important questions of this framework about the play and try to answer them relying on facts in the play. To find the most dominant discourses in the text which is called order of discourses and interpreting the relationships between those discourses and the main discourses in the society which are determined by the ideology and power, is our next attempt.

Music iconography is a useful source for uncovering and investigating important musical-historical knowledge. Mainly derived from paintings and iconographical sources, it can often provide insights which cannot be found in written sources. Studying Western paintings in terms of music iconography is common practice, albeit with an awareness of the issues the field faces. However, the study of Persian paintings and pictorial representations of music faces greater problems, due to the lack of realism in the conceptualization of Eastern art. The motivation behind this manuscript was provided by the field’ s common interpretation and explanation deficiencies, as well as the lack of methodology for Iranian researchers. This article may be useful for Persian music iconography researchers, and will help them to better explain the field. As one aim of this essay is to help musicology and ethnomusicology researchers, an effort has been made to explain key points of musical interpretation pertinent to Persian paintings. This study examines relevant iconography, music iconography, literature reviews of music iconography, the role of the art history in music iconography, the awareness of artistic styles, the reliability of images, and the representation of common musical instruments in each era. It also introduces international music iconography research centers, databases and conferences, and at the end, proposes practical steps for studying a picture containing musical elements in Iranian art. One key point in surveying music iconography is that the primary purpose of many of these paintings was not to provide musical information, yet music researchers can still interpret them for musical knowledge. Thus, comprehending the artistic styles in this field, and the contemporary era of the artwork, remain two of the most important interpretive points to be taken into account. The results of the paper indicate that, although there is no realistic point of view in Persian paintings, musical instruments (especially in the Timurid and the latter Safavid period) are illustrated realistically; Persian paintings regarding musical instruments are therefore generally reliable. In some pictures, there are left-handed players; due to the rules of visual composition, however, nothing can be definitively concluded regarding their handedness. Based on the concept of “ Transformation” as proposed in Erwin Panofsky’ s iconological methodology, it can be understood that – in spite of an unchanging text in various historical editions of the Shahnameh – the musical instruments in its illustrations are inspired by the contemporary era. Therefore, for instance, the Safavid and Qajar Shahnameh manuscripts depict musical instruments from their own respective periods. Musical treatises, historical books, travel accounts and other written documents should be considered for comparative study and enhanced interpretation, as well as for the analysis of pictures relating to music. With reference to various key points in music iconography, 18 steps are proposed that may provide practical methodological guidance for researchers in this field. An effort has been made to choose the most impressive pictures as case studies. This article is an applied research project, and has been carried out using descriptive, analytical, historical and comparative research methods.

This paper is based upon the Mascot character role in food animated T. V commercial. With a glance at the history of Mascot character designing, the essential and vital power of Mascot character in the field of advertising can be imaginable. The key role of Mascot characters in the realm of branding with regard to unique, iconic and exclusive traits of advertising animation, changed the policy of promotional business products for today’ s society in their benefits. Over the last decades, the Mascot characters have been able to put themselves on display in the fields of commercial products in television advertisements. The roles of Mascot characters in the recognition of commercial products caused their connection with the notion of brand making. Since food products constitute a huge part of commercial products, in this study, the impact of the Mascot characters on the commercial animations of food products has been the subject of careful consideration as the main issue, with the purpose of representing the identity of the brands of these products. Towards this purpose, the authors, with reliance on the views of researchers, scholars and animation theorists like Paul wells and brand strategists like Wally Olins, Gillian Dyer, Greg Myers, Sabrina Neeley, Ronald Nedrich, Judith Garretson, Margaret Callcott, Richard Mizerski, David Shuman, Roeder and psychologists like Jean Piaget are trying to expound the following issues: determination of effective Mascot characters indices on the relationship between the consumers and the food products, the relationship between Mascot characters and trust and belief in the commercial products and Mascot characters as a new approach to animated commercials, in order for the commercial products to remain memorable. Based on the findings of this paper, due to the Mascot character, the trust between the consumer and the food products has been created. The more audience believes in deeper Mascot character, the greater trust for brand identity will emerge. Among these, there are three variables, "Mascot Expertise", "Nostalgia" and "Relationship between Mascot character and product" that can play a significant role in the credibility of Mascot characters in advertising animation. Also, Mascot character can create a suitable platform for the promotion of brand identity of food products through new structures of advertising scenarios. The presence of Mascot character in advertising animations also affects the variables of the audience's psychology and their reaction to food products. One of the other benefits of Mascot Character in advertising animations is to turn a typical consumer into a perpetual consumer of a particular product by "inciting a sense of willingness to consume" that leads to an increase in "brand experience" among audiences. The other finding of this paper is the presence of Mascot characters in advertising animations in "Creating a positive attitude toward a commercial product" which is considered as the ultimate goal of advertising campaigners and brand strategists. The research method in this study is descriptive-analytic and data collection through library documents and sources. Furthermore, Mascot character index samples have been applied for the retrieval of the above mentioned characteristics.

The subject of this article is to study "Shadd" in the triple specimen presented in the works of Abdulqâ dir Maraghi and his son Abdulaziz that is Ruh, Sabâ and Khâ b in the late Timurid era and a brief description of its continuation under the title QuadrupleSudud in Safavid era. Shadd had different meanings and this term refers to the following structural distances: the twelve main modes(Advâ r), interval of perfect forth (Zul-erba) and tuning (Estekhâ b/Kuk: tune). This term is mentioned in the works of Abdulqâ dir and Abdulaziz in the third meaning of it. The basis for the description of Estekhâ b was based on the most important instrument of the era that was Ud. These tunes have been the main Modes (Six Avâ z, twelve Adwâ r, and twenty four Shuba), or Advar of Iqâ (probably Movasel) on the genre of Tarjiâ t. The aim of the formation of these species is to influence the audience, such as: grief, joy, sadness etc. The structure of this paper is based on three main themes: the motivation of formation of Sudud, the structure of triple Sudud and their continuity in the Safavid era. The purpose of this research is to study the sudud which has been affected in the formation of Safavid quadruple, Sudud, and finally the formation of Dastgâ hi system. Although Safavidquadruple and Sudud and the structure of the Dastgâ hi system have been studied in the recent decades, this topic has not been seriously considered, so the importance of this review is inevitable. The sources of this research are often based on printed treatises and more emphasis on the manuscripts of the Timurid and Safavid periods, or related to the Safavid era. The method used in this research is descriptive-content analysis. One of the most important findings of this research is the following: the perception of the time from the influence of the era of Advar-e Nahmaghi and Advar-e iqayi as Abdulqâ dir and Abdulaziz as a reflection of the ethnic thoughts of the era; a subject that can also be followed in the works of the "Systematist School". In this effect, the executive behavior of musicians, and the behavior of the audience, along with the temporal and spatial conditions have been necessary. The effect of the aforementioned subject is not limited to this number, indicating that this system is open in this process, for chordophones especially for Ud (base instrument). Scales have been used in different tonalities (of seventeen tonalities). The tunes of these Sudud were unregulated non-tetrachords or regular tetrachords. Hossieni Shadd had five tones, among these five: the first, third and fifth tones were in the middle part of tones and the second and fourth were in the bass tones of those thirty-six tones. It can be inferred from the contents of the treatises of Safavid era, that at least there has been a nominal relationship, especially in relation to the Ruh, and probably the triple Sudud effect of the quadruple Sudud.

This study recognizes the spatial and locational characteristics of Iranian performance art in the traditional Persian paintings (miniature) in the pre-modern Islamic era. In the history of Iranian performance art, there are limited documents to recognize the characteristics of space and place. However, Iranian culture has many potentials to preserve performance arts. The most important way to reach these potentials is dramaturgy. In Iranian tradition, the principles and main elements of any cultural fields that are subject to restraint could be preserved in other areas. Accordingly, traditional Persian paintings were selected as the sources which possibly contain some features of the Iranian performance arts. Herein, the efforts of painters to create a composition from the elements of performance art in a picture are dramaturgy. Therefore, Persian paintings contain valuable information to analyze the Iranian performance art. Moreover, these paintings have been traditionally drawn to illustrate the Iranian literary, mystical and scientific books. One of these famous painters is Behzā d, who had a chance to deal with theoretical aspects of various subjects such as theater. Therefore, there is a possibility that the theoretical aspects of performance art have been considered in his paintings. It is in contrast with the opinion that Iranian performance art has been preserved by non-educational persons who did not know the theoretical aspects of theater. These paintings could be also resources of the Iranian urban mindscape to recognize places for setting up a traditional theater. A mindscape is a general picture of a place and mental factors including cultural, historical, and memorial events. Herein, the main objectives are to find the relationship between the paintings' subject matter and types of Iranian dramaturgical subjects as well as the features of stage and space to illustrate these subjects. To this aim, the selected paintings have dramatic themes and suitable locations for performance art. Results have revealed that most subject matters of these paintings contain Iranian dramaturgical subjects such as Siavash Pass on Fire. Besides, some paintings contain more information about the performance art locations and mindscapes than associated books. For example, more details of a real location for dramaturgical events, like Behistun as a traditional mindscape, have been painted. The paintings illustrate various stages like proscenium, round, thrust, makeshift, traverse stages, which have been performed permanently or temporarily in coffeehouses, private houses and historical venues such as ancient caravanserais and cultural landscapes. Moreover, to a better illustration of a site for theater set up or a gathering place for performance art, different compositions of symbols, colors, forms, and figures have been used. Different types of Iranian performance arts in these paintings are Ta'zieh (passion play), traditional puppetry, Ru-Howzi (social theater) Naqqā li (narration) Siah-Bazi (comical acts on politics) Saye-Bazi (Shadow plays), Pardeh-Khaani (screen-based storytelling). Even though these paintings do not illustrate a real performance art, they reflect a performative manner and dramaturgical process in Iranian culture. It should be noted that this research is performed based on historical research methodology and reflection approach in the sociology of art.

Bahram Beyzaie is an Iranian playwright. He creates his committed literary works by taking an accurate regard of the world around him, using historical events and Iranian tradition. In this way his knowledge of the customs and language of each period of the history in his country, has added to the richness of his works. He is an artist who doesn’ t believe in war, superstition, illiteracy, racism and blindly following anything or any procedure. In the opinion of Lucien Goldmann, the French sociologist, the author takes his creativity from his time and the society he lives in. On the other hand, the great cultural, religious, literary and artistic works are always a new expression of a worldview. Lucien Goldmann believes that what makes a genius very prominent in every civilization, is their ability to express the most important universal values in human society. Beyzaie is an artist with a sociological and questioning or inquisitive look. He defines the decisive elements of his work from the society in which he lives. He combines this decisive element with his prominent artistic taste creating some lasting Masterpieces, such as Four Boxes, one of his greatest pieces. Our purpose in the research is to look more deeply at Four Boxes and interpret its sociological roots. Of course, it should be noted that the writer's intent cannot always be expressed with determination, not only by critics, commentators or analysts, but also by the author himself, because an artwork can engage both conscious and unconscious part of artist’ s mind. But the point here is that this subconscious part of the mind is always influenced by the exterior, side, and environment and the society of the author. Among Beyzaie’ s theatrical works, we chose Four Boxes for analysis and commentary with a sociological look based on the words of Lucien Goldmann. The name of Goldmann’ s theory we are using in this paper is: Genetic Structuralism. Genetic Structuralism has two stages containing of comprehension and description. The necessity of this research is to help the audience to have a more accurate view of Beyzaie’ s works. We have to emphasize that the world around any author and his intellectual system have a great impression on every aspect of the way he does his job. This effect of society could be multiplied when the writer of the play, such as Beyzaie, is the director himself and takes his plays to the scene. In this article, the interactive relationship between artist and society is examined by using the sociological theories of art (Genetic Structuralism by Lucien Goldmann). First, Beyzaie’ s biography is introduced and his look at the history of his homeland. Then, we mention some Goldman’ s sociological theories. Afterward, we sociologically analyze Four Boxes, one of the most famous plays that has been written by Beyzaie. Our method in this research is analytical and based on library and historical sources. In summary, this paper presents a sociological view to Four Boxes based on Lucien Goldmann’ s theory: Genetic Structuralism, thus revealing yet another reason for recognizing this Iranian playwright’ s mastery of this artform.