3Apri 2009

"Auto portraits"
It is hard to decipher and understand an art work; without knowing the context in which the art work is being created; and also the context in which the artist is living. A contemporary art work usually contains of some elements from the society structure in which it is created. "Self portrait" is a kind of art work that emphasizes these referrals more than other forms of art works. Based on the historical experiences in this field, self portrait is a resultant of the artist's awareness of "self"; and in more common way, of its tendency towards the society.
Since the middle of 1370s, the tendency towards this kind of artwork has been increased significantly, among the Iranian artists. Though, the expanding of digital media can be a cause of this; but from a historical point of view; the latest evolutions of the last decade in Iran seems to be the main reason for this.
"Auto portraits" is a collection of the works of artists who used the medium of photography; either by using the photography itself or performing some post-photographic processes on the frames. Although some of these works have been exhibited before; but showing them together, reveals a new interpretation that helps the audiences for historical understanding of their recent age. At the end it is necessary to remind that a significant number of the most important art works of the recent decade are not present in this collection because of the time and space limitations.
-Ali Ettehad-