Body Politics

Statement:

Ardeshir Mohassess (1938-2008) was a prolific, influential and internationally renowned Iranian artists. He graduated from the University of Tehran with a degree in Political Science in 1962 and soon became a full-time illustrator. Best known for his drawings, his cartoons and illustrations have appeared in various publications, including Keyhan-e Hafteh and Tehran Journal, as well as The New York Times and The Nation. Works of Ardeshir Mohassess have been shown in notable venues such as Musée d’Art Moderne and Asia Society Museum, they have been acquired by prestigious collections such as the Library of Congress and Tehran Museum of Contemporary Art, and they have adorned the pages of more than ten books.

Ardeshir Mohassess has influenced many Iranian cartoonists and illustrators, making it impossible to consider the tradition of drawing and figurative painting in Iran without him. His career spanned over half a century, a century with decisive turns in Iran’s socio-political environment. This exhibition marks the debut of this work in the region, and the first time any of these works have been made available for purchase.

Although the majority of the works in this exhibition are untitled, and a good number of them are undated, they are all figurative and effortlessly expressive. Although it is hard for me to resist connecting these figures to monsters, demons, and angels of Iranian folktales: Div-o-Delbar, Jin-o-Peri, etc. these images are not just relevant to Iran and Iranians. Ardeshir’s marks are more universal. With a thin arrow as a tail, the playful watercolor is both dev (Persian: dīv: دیو) and the omnipresent devil. Here the skittishly smiling creature is holding a lit candle on a candlestick. The delicate lines are easily drawn, with more descriptive marks of emphasis. The creature’s only visible eye is shy but assertively looking at us. It reminds me of Ardeshir’s timid presence in a few documentary photographs and movies I have seen of him. I keep thinking this is Ardeshir’s self-portrait. A surreal self-portrait of an artist holding a candle to light the way.