Natalie: Ala Ebtekar Studio Visit Reflection

Sunday was a good day. Our visit to Ala Ebtekar's studio was interesting, and informative, inspiring, and fun. What stood out to me was the casual and easy nature of the visit, which made it personal and engaging. I loved sitting in his studio with a cup of matcha, listening to Ala speak about his inspirations, his background, graffiti history and politics, and his artwork.

His work, especially the variety of techniques he uses is very distinct. Because of this, there was such diversity in the products: from the long five-panel painting, to the books, to the embossed drawings, to the installations with speakers and sneakers. When we first walked into his space, this work was leaned against the wall. I was immediately drawn to it.

(I got this picture from: http://beautifuldecay.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/Ala-Ebtekar-collage2.jpg)

What I find appealing is the difference between how one views the work up close versus far away. From a distance, I see clear, bold lines and color. But, up close, there's a whole other dimension of intricate detail and borders and this mesmerizing galaxy motif. His explanation about this work (and the series) was a great story. Ala talked about science fiction and how it doesn't exist in Iran and the juxtaposition of past, present, and future. In Iran, the genre of science fiction doesn't exist because of a somewhat lack of hope for the future. I also think there's a nostalgia for the past and rich history of Iran. This collection (which the above image is part of) deals with the idea of future which I suppose is the first example Iranian science fiction.

These ideas made me think a bit about the American attitude towards time. I feel like there's a constant push forward, without really acknowledging or longing for the past. Plus, people always talk about "living in the now." But what does that mean? I've wrestled with this thought for a little bit and the only conclusion I can make is that we need balance. We need to find this Iranian attitude of respecting and honoring the past, while also appreciating the present, and planning for the future. But how do we achieve this? I'm going to sleep on this question.

What do you think?

Anyways, I really enjoyed the visit. (Sorry for the non sequitur transition)

Natalie

2 responses

Great post Natalie! Thank you for the succinct synopsis of our studio visit with Ala Ebtekar. I too was intrigued by the contrasts in cultural perspectives between the U.S. and Iran. It would be great to dive deeper into this subject, perhaps during the radio interview? It would be interesting to discuss how these perspectives inform the music industry and the resulting pop culture of the U.S. and Iran. In turn, how would you categorize the economies of these two countries? How might their economies or for that matter the geopolitics of each country have informed the notions of future or lack thereof? Lots to ponder here!

— Art Speak Interns

I think it could be really cool to talk about culture and viewpoint during the radio interview. I'm sure we'll be able to brainstorm lots of good questions about the topic. Surrounding the question of economy, I'm sure that the US and Iran are both in pretty tough economic situations. Also, Iranian economy is largely oil based, which we have found to be a finite resource. Perhaps this has something to do with a lack of looking to the future. I don't know much about Iranian politics or mindset but I know the US has this idealistic approach to the future. Rooted deep within American culture, politics, and economy is the promise of hope, of the American Dream. I think this also adds the the US having a very linear idea of time which is always moving forward and pushing to innovate.