Shahpour Pouyan
Shabibi writes about Pouyan's work 'My place is the placeless' : Shahpour Pouyan’s work is a commentary about power, domination and possession through the force of culture. His interest lies in singling out particular objects whose images captivate him, and by painting them he releases the feeling of anguish they create. Pouyan’s hooves are symbols for the aspiration of power, lonely beings with vain attempts at grandeur, which are faintly ridiculous, provoking mixed feelings of pity and contempt. (Lawrie Shabibi, n.d.)
In 2013 I found a leaflet in Pratt health centre where I was studying for my MFA degree. For the first time I learnt about PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) and I recognized that I have this disorder since I grew up during the eight years of the Iran-Iraq war in a military air force zone in Isfahan.
In a sarcastic approach to the treatment, I began to address a variety of traumatic histories and observations from the world around me, which include the nuclear program in Iran, shellshock from the First World War, and diasporic life and confronting a new identity in the US. Failed Objects are my interpretation of the culture or identity that is misunderstood, or failed to be recognised correctly and rather demonised.
It started with by observing historical objects that were misinterpreted in archaeological museums, such as small containers (possibly for cosmetics) that were interpreted as ancient grenades.
Failed Objects are metaphors for culture and people who are ancient, rich, mysterious and seem threatening. The objects are hollow inside, but there is no way to access the inside through the body's tiny holes. (Pouyan, 2021)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
References:
Lawrie Shabibi. (n.d.). Shahpour Pouyan. [online] Available at: https://www.lawrieshabibi.com/artists/29-shahpour-pouyan/ [Accessed 20 Nov. 2022].
Pouyan, S. (2021). Ten. Dubai: Galerie Nathalie Obadia.