Wired to Serve Selected Scriptures Wired to Serve Selected Scriptures.
Painthings-Selected
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Gita Meh Painthings It is at once tradi2on and blasphemy, honor and affront. The argument over the discourse of Islam conflates in Gita Meh’s pain2ngs: how to uCer and give substance to the word of God? How to celebrate it? How to make it real? Inscrip2on, belief, focus, passion – does that mean a fiery purity or a substan2ve sensuality, a faith based en2rely on the wriCen word or a carnal reality conjured from the mind? If the world is not possible without the word, isn’t the word then full of the world? Doesn’t it include delights and desires, or is the word the sword that mows down worldly distrac8ons and challenges? Selected work from the series of: Women of My Land My Body Hair My Body Text My Body Tiled My Body Tex2le © Gita Meh | images and text curtsy of the ar2st
Transcript of Painthings-Selected
GitaMehPainthingsItisatoncetradi2onandblasphemy,honorand
affront.TheargumentoverthediscourseofIslamconflatesinGitaMeh’spain2ngs:howtouCerandgivesubstancetothewordofGod?Howtocelebrateit?Howtomakeitreal?Inscrip2on,belief,focus,passion–doesthatmeanafierypurityorasubstan2vesensuality,afaithbaseden2relyonthewriCenwordoracarnalrealityconjuredfromthemind?Iftheworldisnotpossiblewithouttheword,isn’tthewordthenfulloftheworld?Doesn’titincludedelightsanddesires,oristhewordtheswordthatmowsdownworldlydistrac8onsandchallenges?
Selectedworkfromtheseriesof:WomenofMyLandMyBodyHairMyBodyTextMyBodyTiledMyBodyTex2le
©GitaMeh|imagesandtextcurtsyofthear2st
InscribingTheBody GitaMeh,asmuchwriteraspainter,asmuchabstrac2onistasrepresenta2onalist,asmuchIranianasanythingelse,worshipstheword–anditscalligraphictraces–andworshipstheworlditenmeshes,thedeityitlauds,thesensa2ons,howevercontrary,itdescribes,pointsto,notates.InPersia,wherelongagotheriverofSemi2cscriptbeganrunningoveranIndo‐Aryanbedrock,themee2ngofciviliza2ons,thefusionofar2factures,openedupnewpossibili2esfortheimageintheverbalimagina2on.GitaMeh’spain2ng,perhapsevenmorethanherwri2ngperse,makesmanifest–forour2me–thisconcre2onoftheabstract,thisfleshingoutoftheconcept.Shewritesherimages.
Thisisastrueofthoseimagesfreeofwri2ngasitisofthoseimagesfilledwithwri2ng.Whetherpain2ngrampanthorses,burgeoningfemales,orintricateformson2ny2les,MehdescribeshersubjectswithabrightpaleCe–or,conversely,starkblackandwhite–andasinuousline.Shefavorscurvaceous,evenextravagantcontours,impelledatoncebythevoluptuousnessoforganicforms–beginning,orperhapsending,withwoman–andbytheelaborate,uniquelygracefulloopsandtergiversa2onsofArabicscript.InhermostconvincingworkitishardtotellwhereMehstopswri2ngandstartspain2ng–orperhapsthereisnodifferenceinhervisualcosmologybetweenmakingwordsandmakingimages.BothapproximateGod’sreality,aUerall,inwayspeculiartohumans.
Theconfla2onofthingandname,bodyandverse,isapoe2cconceitthathaswellservedcountlessar2sts.Foralltheirinsouciance,Meh’spain2ngsanddrawingsrelyprofoundlyonthisconceit.Shewritesherpictures;shepaintsherwords.Thisconfoundsthetradi2onalprohibi2onofrenderinggravenimages–notsimplybyrenderingthoseimages,butbyrenderingthemasiftheywerepartsofspeech,vocaliza2ons,thingsandideasatonce.ButindoingthisMehinsiststhatanyhand‐wriCenimageisfinallyanabstrac2on,asmuchremovedinitswayfromitssubjectasisthewordthatdescribesthatsubject.Apain2ngordrawingevokesthethingitdepictsbut,despitethePygmalionlegendandothers,doesnotbecomeit.Theprohibi2onagainstgravenimagesmakessurethathumansdonotmistaketheirownhandiworkfromGod’s,anddonotreverethatwhichtheyfabricate.No,eveninthemosthumanistapprehensionofpain2ngs,ofpictures,thereisnomistakingthehand‐renderedimageforthethingitdepicts.WhatMeharguesimplicitlyisthatthathumanistapprehensionispar2cularlyfarremovedfromthatmistake,replacedwiththeunderstandingthattheimagesbeforeusareciphersfortherealthing–likeleCers,likewords.
S2ll,theconjura2onofthingsthroughimagesorthroughwordsisapowerfulact.Theevoca2onoftheideaofsomethingistheprovoca2onofthemindtowardsthatsomething,towardsitsidea,towardsitsideal.Mehproposesnottobreathelifeintoherfabrica2ons,buttoamplifythelifeintherealthingsshedepicts.Shecallsupthesethings,thewaythatLascauxcavepaintercalledupagoodhunt.Thepainter’stribedidnoteatthedepic2onsonthewall,buttheevoca2onofthoseanimalsspurredthemon.Likewise(ifwithrathermorecircumspec2on–andmoreexpansiveness),Mehspursusontoamorevivid,deligh[ulgraspoftheworld,byspeakingwithpictures,byshowingwithwords.PeterFrankNewYorkNovember2006
GitaMehBorn1963,Tehran,IranLivesandworksinDubaiandTehran
Educa1on1997MFA,CaliforniaIns8tuteofTheArts,Crea2ve&Cri2calWri2ng/IntegratedMediaprogram,ProfessorJonWagner,oneyearStudy,pending,Valencia,CA1996 BFA,CaliforniaIns8tuteofTheArts,VisualArts,Valencia1992 P’ART,Pain2ng,ProfessorBerndMac,StuCgart,Germany1989 FreieKunstschule,GraphicDesign,Pain2ng,Zuffenhausen,Germany1983AcademiaDelleBelleAr8,Threemonthsofdrawing,Florence,Italy1981 NewAndishAzadegan,SchoolofVisualArts,Tehran,Iran1976 PrivateStudies,ProfessorPetgar,Pain2ng,Tehran,Iran
SelectedSoloExhibi1ons2009 Carbon12,Dubai,UAE|SilentVoices,pain8ngs2008 TashkeelGallery,Dubai,UAE|27YearsofMigra8on,installa8on,photography HoorGallery,Tehran|MigratoryPaIerns,pain8ngsSeyhounGallery,LosAngeles|Passage,pain8ngs2006AthensArtSpace,Athens,Greece|Metamorphosis,pain8ngs2003 InmoGallery,LosAngeles|Soffreh,foodinstalla8on1999 HouseofIranianPainters,Tehran|SayYaAliThenExitOnExile,pain8ngs1991TheHagueGallery,TheHague,Netherlands|WoundedWishes&Wind,pain8ngs1990GallerySchilling,StuCgart,Germany|IFormedMyArch,pain8ngs
SelectedGroupExhibi1on2009 SharjahBiennial09|Soffreh,installa8on 2008 NewYork,N.Y.,IceBoxProjectSpace|Conven2onsandAntudes|NoFlagJustLove,photography SlickArtFair,Paris,France|BarbiesRelocatedfromIran,Photography MOCATehran,EighthBiennale|WomenofMyLands,pain8ngs2007 MOCA,theGeffenContemporary,LosAngeles|WorkandSurvival,SuzanneLacyproject,audioinstalla8on2002 JapaneseAmericanNa2onalMuseum,LosAngeles|ChadoorStudy,performance2001BergamotSta2on,Track16,SantaMonica|Overflowing|AlefBaMeaningAlphabet,Mul8media1991MOCATehran,FirstBiennial|Simourgh,pain8ng
Grants&Scholarships2002‐06WATTIndustries|WATTFamily,LosAngeles1997 LuluMay&RichardVonHagen1996 CaliforniaIns2tuteoftheArts1995Na2onalArtAssocia2on AhmansonFounda2on CaliforniaIns2tuteoftheArts1994 Na2onalArtAssocia2on1993 CaliforniaIns2tuteoftheArts1992 IrvineFounda2on1991 CulturalACachéofIran,Cologne,Germany
PrivateCollec2onFarjamFounda2on,Dubai,UAEWaCIndustries,LosAngeles,CAFarhadBakh2ar,Dubai,UAE
FutureProjects2009Na2onalGalleryofPrague,CzechRepublic,permanentcollec2on|Male|FromAdamtoAtomtoEve,videoinstalla2on|Prague,CR2010DIFC|ArtDubai|CollaboratorPatrizioTravagli|SweetCityMeetstheSpeedofLight|Dubai,UAE2010 CairoBiennial2010|PalaceoftheArts/OperaHouse|Collaborator,PatrizioTravagli|SweetCityMeetstheSpeedofLight|Cairo,Egypt2010 Carbon12|SilencedFaces,installa2on|Dubai,UAE
Publica1ons2009 ArtOasis,Dubai,UAE|Exhibi2oncatalogue|AGreenVision|ToThinkLocallyistoActGlobally2008 TashkeelGallery,Dubai,UAE|Exhibi2oncatalogue|27YearsofMigra8on JamJarGallery,Exhibi2onCatalogue|Soffreh,MeaningTablecloth2007 UniversityofArkansasPress|Sin,poemsofForughFarokhzad|Coverart2007 HourGallery,Tehran,Iran|Exhibi2onCatalogue|MigratoryPaIerns2006 SeyhoonGallery,LosAngeles,CA|Exhibi2oncatalogue|Passage2005 PersianHeritage,Passaic,NJ|Vol.10,No.40|AtTimeAIar,AtTimeatFar,poem2004 She@Studio,LosAngeles|Exhibi2oncatalogue|HowaHouseBecameaHomeandHomeaTemple2001 Track16,LosAngeles|Exhibi2onCatalogue|NormanKlein,Emp2nessDigitalized| AleZaMeaningAlphabet1982 ArtsandCulturalMinistry,Tehran,Iran|Children’sbook,LimitedEdi2on|AleZa
SelectedReviews2009 ContemporaryPrac2ces|AidaAltori|Soffreh,pg.28‐29 AlBayan,Dubai|ReshaAlMalah|SilentVoices,26June,pg37 TimeOut,Dubai|ChrisLord|SilentVoices,pg.5 L’ArtePOili2caDell’Ospetalita,Italy|IlariValnonesi|Tehran,Dubai,Venice,pg.1,2,3 GulfToday,Sharjah|MohammedYoussef|SilenceofTheLambs,pg.27 AlBayan|ReshaAlMalah|SilentVoices,20June,pg.35 AlKhalleej,SharjahBiennial09|Coverpage|Soffreh,March20, 2008TimeOut,Dubai|ChrisLord|27YearsofMigra8on|December11,pg.81 TheNa2onal,Dubai|SarahWolff|Movement&Iden8ty,November12,pg.3 AlKhaleej,Dubai|November8,pg.10 GulfNews,Dubai|LayllaHaroon|CaravanofPeripate8c,October31,pg.14 InsideOut,Dubai|IngaMarie‐BarneC|CulturalNourishment,Sept.,no.56,p.99 KhaleejCityTimes|MohamadKardy|ATableofTreats,Sept.13,no.96,pg.3 TheNa8onal,Dubai|Soffreh|AnnaSeaman,September7 TimeOut,Dubai|GitaMehinDubai|ChrisLord,September10 MasalaMagazine,Dubai|GitaMehSoffreh|September GulfToday,Dubai|BarbiesRelocated|MohammadYousof,August14 TimeOutDubai|BarbiesRelocated,”ChrisLord,August14,pg.58 VOX,AdvanceCulturewithCrea2vity(online)|American|USA GulfNews|January9,pp.16‐172007 LAWeekly|Pickoftheweek|Migra8onStudy|PeterFrank,September6 DowntownNews,LosAngeles,CA|Migra2onStudy|August AthensNews&otherleadingartpublica2ons,Athens,Greece|April9‐132005 GalleryGuide,Athens,Greece|GeorgeZymarakis|BirthofAStar|November,pp.9,34,35, FreedomNewspaper,Athens|GioulaSardeli|EveryWindowHasAStory|October13,pp.2,10 CurrentAffairs,Greece|AnnaResbani|GitaSeestheBeautyofTheWorld&TurnsthatKnowingIntoPain2ngs,October,13,pg.2,10 CurrentAffairs,Kalamata,Greece|AnnaResbani|WhenPain2ngsTravel,October12,pp.2,102002AmericanTheater,LosAngeles|9/11;PollsAssesstheImpact,June,p.102001Na2onalWoman’sReview,LosAngeles|ChadoorStudy,p.91 LosAngelesTimes|DonShirley|AnEveningOfDramaCloakedInSEP11,December22,p.F81997ForumofArtAndTechnology,LosAngeles|JoanHugo|TheSpeakingBodyAndTheDisembodiedVoice,”p.81994AmnestyInterna2onal,TheHague,Netherlands|January,p.121992MenschenRechtenMagazine,TheHague|BackCover,MarchSamarghand;AreviewofArtandCulture,Tehran|KoshyarParsi|Poe2cBullet,February,pp.244‐246ABR,TheHague,Netherlands|March31,p.10SchorndorferStadtnachrichten,Germany|AndreasKrobberger,FremdlicheBotschaUen|September15,p.15Keyhan‐eHavaye,London,England|ArtandAr2stInJudgment|January3,p.211991StuCgarterZeitung,StuCgart,Germany|ReinerSchauz|CulturesIntegratedInPain2ngs|January6,p.51991Keyhan‐eHavaye,London|Movement,Upheaval,Chaos|October3,p.211990StuIgartCi8zen,Germany|SteveSnyder|BeautyIsTruth|November2,p.5
ThirtyMe,MeaningSimourghacrylic|gliCer|s2ckers|clayhomesoncanvas|76x51in.(193.4x129.54cm.)|paintedinLosAngelesCA|2001
WomenofMyLands
IsaseriesoffemalefiguresthatdepictswomenwhoIhavemetandgottoknowthroughoutmy27yearsofmigratorylife,womenwhohavenourished,provided,thought,validated,confirmedandsupportedme,thatwhichmademyarrivaltowhereIamtodaypossible.Eachpain2nghasanameofthepersonIgottoknowonmypath.Some2tlesaresentencesthathavebeenexperiencedandfeltbetweenus.Ihavebrushedtheirfriendship.Ihavecoloredtheirkindnessandstrength.Ihavecreatedthemthroughmylines,colors,formbrushingthemasthecontentofmywork.Ihavestudiedtheirculturesandthewaytheylove.Theywayandhowtheycare.Womenwhoknowthemeaningandfeelingofbeingastrangerandthereforetheother.Ilovedsearchingtheirinnernature.Icherishtheinstances,whichpainbecamelightandlightbecameperceivingthroughthem.Ilovedthemomentswhenskyandearthbecamebirththroughtheirbreathoflove.Thecrea2onof“WomenofMyLands”istheresultofmyactualexperiences.
Women&StructureStudy|1of13charcoalonprintedpaper11x8in.(27.94x20.32cm.)paintedinValenciaCA|1993
Banna,MeaningStructureseriesof:MyBodyTiledacrylic|oilmarker|gliCer|semipreciousstonesoncanvas30x23in.(76.2x35.56cm.)paintedinLosAngelesCA|2003
WomenOfArchitecture,Us|acryliconcanvas|67x52in.(170.18x132.8cm.)|paintedinLosAngelesCA|2002
Hou,Hou,Ali,Houmeaning:SoundofRealiza2on,Ali,SoundofRealiza2onseriesof:MyBodyHair,Removal&Regrowthacrylic|removedwomenbodilyhair|waxstripesoncanvas72x60in.(182.88x152.4cm.)paintedinLosAngelesCA|2002
Besmellahseriesof:MyBodyTextoiloncanvas39.37x39.37in(100x100cm.)paintedinTehranIran|2008
OpenSourceseriesof:MyBodyTextacryliconcanvas20x16in.(50.8x40.64cm.)PaintedinLosAngelesCA|2005
CheraGhamCheraghammeaning:WhySadnessMyLightseriesof:MyBodyTextacryliconcanvas72.4x55.11in.(183x140cm.)paintedinDubaiUAE|2007
Ghonahmeaning:Sinseriesof:MyBodyTextBookcover|Sin|ForughFarrokhzad|TranslatedbySholehWolpe|TheUniversityofArkansasPressacryliconcanvas18x14in.(45.72x35.56cm.)paintedinLosAngelesCA|2005
SeeingTheBeingacryliconcanvas39.37x27.55in.(100x70cm.)paintedinTehranIran|2006
Women&StructureStudy|3of13charcoalonprintedpaper11x8in.(27.94x20.32cm.)PaintedinValenciaCA|1993
WomenofArchitectureAcrylic|gliCer|woodenwindowsoncanvas48.3x48.3in.(122x122cm.)paintedinLosAngelesCA|2002
He,Ta,Lah,Noghte,Noghte,Noghtemeaning:T,Lah,Dot,Dot,Dotseriesof:MyBodyHair,Removal&Regrowthremovedwomanbodilyhair|waxstrips|acryliconcanvas72x60in.(182.88x152.4cm.)paintedinLosAngelesCA|2002
Women&StructureStudy|4of13Charcoalonprintedpaper11x8in.(27.94x20.32cm.)paintedinValenciaCA|1993
StandingonTheeWingsacrylic|oilmarkeroncanvas15.74x11.81in.(40x30cm.)paintedinTehranIran|2006
RunRunThroughCertaintyseriesof:MyBodyTiledhandpainted2les|semipreciousstones|s2ckers|oilmarkeronwoodandcanvas23x46in.(58.42x116.84cm.)paintedinLosAngelesCA|2004
WhomHoumeaning:Whoisthissoundofrealiza2onacryliconcanvas72.4x55.11in.(183x140.cm.)paintedinDubaiUAE|2007
GhebleAmGhalbMeaning:MyHeartisMyGhebleseriesof:MyBodyTextoiloncanvas39.37x39.37in.(100x100cm.)paintedinTehranIran|2008
WomenofOpenTrinityseriesof:MyBodyTextacryliconcanvas52x52in.(132.8x132.8cm.)paintedinLosAngelesCA|2006
Oneword
Weoriginatedfromoneword.Wesearchforthisonewordthroughthisvastworldwiththousandsofwords.AndGodUsedonewordtogive2melife,AsuniverseheldVenuswithonehand,And,Withtheother,Earthcarvedusintoherinside.Mymindandbodyawkwardlyaware.Awareofallsenses.Wounds.Words.AndWorlds.OurhistorybeganWhenwewereinsearchforrealitytowardstherightlight.Thatonerightword.Thisonerightthing.Thatrightmoonset.Thisrighthold.Wordisen2relycarvedintoeachhumanheartAswefeelyoubreathetruththroughus.GitaMehLosAngeles2005
