Mixed media. Geometric design, conflict between static and evolving spirituality.
This mixed media work describes the academic debate about the role of Islamic art. A professor and philosopher of Islamic studies at George Washington University, Dr. Seyyed Nasr holds that Islamic art is a product of Islamic spirituality and that religious consciousness inspires the creation and appreciation of Islamic art (Nasr 5). The spiritual connection that one experiences when appreciating Islamic art embodies the concept of tawhid, the “acknowledgement and assertion of God’s uncompromised unity and transcendence” in all parts of life (Renard 128). In fact, an understanding of the “inner meaning” of Islamic art necessitates both “’outward and inner discover[ies] of truth’” according to Nasr (Necipoğlu 77). On the other hand, Harvard Professor Dr. Gülru Necipoğlu believes that Islamic art actually changes with context (Necipoğlu 77).
In this work, a woman stands to the left of the canvas and a geometric art pattern fills the background (the same pattern as the header for this blog). The woman’s left side is clearly defined and delineated, representing the static notion of spirituality. The image of the woman is less defined on the right side as she fades into the history. The lack of definition on the right side represents the change in Islamic art over time as social contexts change the interpretation of the art.
Originally I decided to use a woman to depict this concept because I thought I could more easily demonstrate the fading through the hair and dress. However, as we learned in class, women’s bodies have often functioned as arenas for ideological battles surrounding identity and ideology [1].
I originally painted this piece so that the woman stood to the right of the canvas so that the past faded toward the left. To me this represented the chronologic linearity of a timeline. However, I eventually horizontally flipped the image to reflect the nature of the Arabic language, which is written from right-to-left. The painting is mounted on a newspaper with current affairs at Harvard in 2016.
[1] From lecture notes April 5, 2016.
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