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Photo essay: Shoja Azari's Paris exhibit

by Elin Najmi
08-Jun-2011
 

هیچ گناه کاری در جهنم نیست, الین نجمی: گالری ژرم د نوآرمون Jérôme de Noirmont در منطقه هشتم  پاریس برای نخستین بار در فرانسه میزبان آثاری از شجاع آذری ست. تمامی آثار به نوعی با درونمایه مذهب و افراط گرایی از یک سو، و تنش های سیاسی به ویژه در خاورمیانه از سوی دیگر در ارتباطند. او خود می گوید که کارهایش از تاریخ فرهنگ شخصیش، مینیاتورها، هنر آبستره، مینیمال و کنسپتوال غرب ریشه می گیرند. به این شکل، تصاویر شمایل های مذهبی با گفتار شکنجه گر آمریکایی زندان ابوغریب درهم می شود، نوحه خوانی عاشورایی در انفجارهای بیروت گم می شود، و ویدئو و نقاشی، سنت ایرانی و مدرنیته غربی در هم می آمیزند، تا منعکس کننده دلمشغولی های امروزین شجاع آذری باشند>>> more

New York Times: To a less educated eye, Shoja Azari’s portraits resonate as kitsch — as if a cheesy poster of the Virgin Mary had suddenly come to life — but with a political subtext... “Icon #5” recreates a portrait of Imam Hussein, a grandson of the Prophet Muhammad who died — together with the infant son he is shown carrying — at the Battle of Karbala, one of the most significant events in Shiite history; we now see a mother cradling her dead child’s body. While making the work, Mr. Azari, said, he had in mind women like Neda Agha Soltan >>>

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Cost-of-Progress

esfand

by Cost-of-Progress on

you kill me baby, you know it.

 

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IRAN FIRST

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divaneh

Excellent work

by divaneh on

Loved the idea of replacing the religious figures' faces with those of women. If the religious people find it an insult then they have to ask themselves how much respect they have for women?


ComraidsConcubine

Ramin, dood doodle dude

by ComraidsConcubine on

 I was referring to my own idea as not being juicy.

I'm not against religious fundamentalists as long as they all kill each other only and you can make mince pies out of them. ;) 

Wishing you continuous  fun with your work. ;) 

 



ComraidsConcubine

double

by ComraidsConcubine on

 post

 



ramintork

CC Jaan

by ramintork on

That would be very DaDa wouldn't it? and I feel hungry now! I could murder some Zoolbiabamiyeh with my black tea right now.

I do have a candy crucified George W Bush in that series. He used Christian Fundementalism to wage War so he fitted in my DaGod series.

DaGod is based on DaDa but is a protest against religious fundementalism. I'm surprised that is not juicy enough for you ;-)

Are you waiting for me to be shot in the head and wait to say how juicy the work was in my Eulogy? Or are you waiting for me to put these in a posh Gallery and be recognized by some Western critic before you start liking it too? 

//doodlejuice.com/gallery/ 

 


ramintork

Mash Ghasem Aziz

by ramintork on

Mokhlesam. Lotf Daree ;-)


ComraidsConcubine

Ramin, how about

by ComraidsConcubine on

 an Iranian-style Chocolate Jesus? Hazrateh Ali made out of gaz and zoolbiabamiyeh. OK OK, you could stick a few watermelonseeds ,hendoone zire baghal,  as his armpits.

copyright2011 ComraidsConcubine, doodling without juice. 

;) 



Mash Ghasem

...

by Mash Ghasem on

Kudos to Shoja khan for all his imaginative works in here, and the video,...

Ramin, that Ali is priceless, thank you.


عموجان

Khamenie would bought these if,

by عموجان on

They were actual oil painting instead of print.

May be this is the only way to make Khamenie &IRI to understand there are mothers who lost their child unjustly by them. Photoshop faces of crying mothers on religious icons.

 

 


Esfand Aashena

COP, is Rihanna a role model first, or artist first?!

by Esfand Aashena on

Everything is sacred


Cost-of-Progress

Gotta say this

by Cost-of-Progress on

Mr Azari's emphasis on "islamic art" drives yet another nail in the coffin of our pre-islamic heritage.

Are Iranians muslim first, or Iranian first?

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IRAN FIRST

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ramintork

I see some similarity between some of these works and mine

by ramintork on

We have both used religious icons, but the use and meaning is so different. 

I started doing what I call the DaGod series about four years ago. 

The Charles Manson as Imam Ali (represent the brutality sold as sacred) and more recently Brad Pitt as Imam Ali ( invention of a polished fake history).

//www.flickr.com/photos/doodlejuice/sets/72157625785305908/ 

I keep these in my blog gallery:

//doodlejuice.com/gallery/ 

 

 


ComraidsConcubine

"To a less educated eye"

by ComraidsConcubine on

  from the article:

"To a less educated eye, Shoja Azari’s portraits resonate as kitsch — as if a cheesy poster of the Virgin Mary had suddenly come to life "

 

To my less educated eye, this resonates of "what the hell am I doing commenting?"

But then, quite right! I ought to educate myself. Thank you for the education.