Lot 58: Sadeghat Jabbari (Iranian, b. 1961)

Sadeghat Jabbari (Iranian, b. 1961)
The Divine Names
signed and dated in Farsi (lower right of lower right panel)
oil and acrylic on canvas; polyptych in four parts
Each 37 3/8 x 37 3/8in. (95 x 95cm.); Overall 74 3/8 x 74¾in. (190 x 190cm.)
Excuted in 2007

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The formal basis of Sedaghat Jabbari's compositions is the free-flowing repetition of siahmasq, or rough draft calligraphy. Siahmasq does not rely on the textual content of words, but rather is the free application of colour guided by calligraphic techniques. As such, the result shares much with Abstract Expressionism.
Manuscript writing as the most practical form of calligraphy does not offer an artistic definition of space, since it is closely tied to illumination. Naturally, the traditional calligraphy of Iran, even in its non-functional form, is not supposed to be hung on a wall. Works of calligraphy demand close inspection to reveal delicate details and perhaps this is the most obvious difference between traditional and contemporary calligraphy. On the other hand, there are no limits to siahmashq with its unconstrained use of space and the abstract quality of its shapes and forms. In traditional calligraphy the use of space in relation to the placement of elements on the page is one that should reflect a divine order. A cruciform formation, for example, has a symbolic content, possessing particular spiritual and metaphysical qualities, and appeals to one of the most ancient human archetypes.