about

the trace of absence

2009
One of the fundamental elements of Iranian-Islamic art is geometry. In this art material is glorified by the geometry. One of the characteristic emblems of this geometry can be seen in girih tiles. Girih tiles are made of similar geometrical motifs and it is a symbol of balance and harmony. Girih tiles have an invincible order without any accidental or random coincidences. This inherent and thus rigid characteristic of girih tiles inspired me to deconstruct the geometry in my “the trace of absence” series. In this process I made a twist to girih, meanwhile I introduced a kind of playfulness to rationalistic geometry, and through these attitudes the rigid order of girih tiles is broken down and by means of this destruction I could develop its contemporary visual capacities. Under these circumstances the viewer encounters with multiple aspects of an absent mass. Indeed this veiled mass shows the presence of original mass and traces of its disappearance. By the way, this mass is a kind of human encounter with multiple contemporary truths. Traditional geometry is constructed based on a single version of truth whereas this perception of truth is not compatible with contemporary human and he/she requires his/her distinguished version of truth. According to this viewpoint, this work is one of the appearances of absent mass which is infinitely multiplicable based on viewer’s point of view.
The absent volume in this work visually changes while the work rotated in space and shows different shapes from different angels. After deconstruction, the empty space inside the girih which I have chosen, seems circular from one side and oval from other side and even invisible from another point of view. This image is the reflection of multiple truths and plural conceptions which is the result of contemporary understanding of the truth. My final goal is appropriating the visual possibilities of these forms and criticizing traditional approach towards geometry and it’s relation to truth.
Banafsheh Hemmati

01.

Ring

02.

Barooch

siyah mashg