Analysis of the Photographicity in 1390’s Iranian Art Photography Based on François Soulages' Perspective

 
 
What is more significant in photographic exhibitions: the idea and concept, or their form? Prioritizing one over the other can reveal a tendency toward a specific type of art. The aim of this article is not to confirm or deny either approach but to explore the importance and significance of 'being photographed' in the photographic exhibitions held in Tehran during the 2010s. While there are many indicators for studying the photographic characteristics of artworks, such as modernist indicators, the era of conceptualism and post-conceptualism has blurred the boundaries of the medium. Therefore, in this study, alternative indicators were used
François Soulages, in his book Esthétique de la Photographie: la Perte et le Reste, introduces the term "photographicity" as the fundamental characteristic of photography. He elaborates on this concept in detail. In this context, photographicity refers to the simultaneous emphasis on the irreversibility of the moment when the photograph is taken (the irreversible) and the endless possibilities of creating different images from the same negative or digital file (the endless). This duality validates photography's ability to integrate with other mediums. By dissolving the boundaries between mediums, this concept serves as a valuable indicator of the importance and significance of "being photographed" in the contemporary era. It is clear that both "the irreversible" and "the endless" are characteristics found in all photographs, but the key question is how Iranian photo-based artists exhibiting in Tehran art galleries during the 2010s utilize these two traits. How do they connect and emphasize "being photographed" in their works?
This research is qualitative, employing a descriptive-analytical method. The information for the theoretical framework was gathered through library research, while the photos and data related to the photographic works were sourced from artists' websites, galleries, and, in some cases, the artists' archives
 
Based on François Soulages's perspective, this research first analyzes the use of the irreversibility of the moment captured in a photograph. This appears to be the primary psychological motivation for taking photographs. Generally, most photographs are taken to preserve a moment that is passing, and in many cases, this moment cannot be repeated. In the photographic exhibitions of Tehran during the 2010s, this theme was often focused on capturing objects in decline. These objects were sometimes personal, but at other times they were broader, such as a changing cityscape or decaying national and historical heritage. In some cases, this characteristic was emphasized by manipulating the photographed subjects or by altering the photograph itself. In other instances, photographers intentionally captured images of ruined objects. In such works, the ability of photography to preserve the irreversible moment was often questioned. For example, Mohammad Ghazali, in his series Tehran Inclined to the Right, used expired Polaroid film to capture the streets of Tehran, resulting in damaged photographs that failed to preserve the moment. In other cases, the deterioration of the photographs was less noticeable, as in Mohammad Rezaei Kalantari's Mazandaran Sea series, which depicts family scenes in negatives that were accidentally discovered by the artist. Time had altered and damaged these photographs, which were originally intended to capture moments of decline. This approach to the use of photographic characteristics is increasingly seen as a challenge today.
Then the usage of endless possibilities of making different photographs of the same negative or file was analyzed. “the endless” characteristic of the photograph on one hand implies to possibilities of manipulating negatives and photos and on the other hand it implies different modes of presentation and contextualization of photographs to evoke different meanings of them. In the first form, works of this decade can be divided into photomontages, photo manipulation, and alternative prints and in the second form, the physical usage of photographs was found. For example, Mohsen Yazdipour in the “Breath” series has changed the archival photos to create a different meaning and Sahar Mokhtari in the “East Terminal” series has used famous old photos in her staged photographs. differently, Ghazale Hedayat in “The photo essence” series used photo prints and Soaked them in water and then made a print by them.
Finally works that link these two characteristics and so photographicity is highlighted in them were investigated. In some photomontages, the irreversibility of the moment or the object was a key element for artists for example Mehdi Moghimnejad in “Verisimilitudes: Found History” used photomontage and made a mourning for Iran’s cultural heritage which is going to fade. Or Babak Kazemi in the “awaiting” series montaged the photos of former residents of the houses who had immigrated on the doors of the houses and connected two capacities or characteristics of photographs. Also some of the alternative printings in this decade concern “the irreversible”. For example, Zeinab Saghafi in the “remains” series depicted the decline of man-made structures against the persistence of nature but instead of saving this moment of the declining process she used man-made emulsion on the paper in a way that all the details have faded and emphasized on the irreversibility of the moment that disabled the photograph of saving that. Sasan Abri also is one of the artists who used alternative printing in this decade. In “The Dormant Yellow” series he wanted to capture old buildings that are on the verge of demolition but he transferred the images taken with an analog camera to small cardboard sheets using thinner and then put them together like a puzzle. Doing this process connects the endless possibilities of making images of a negative with the concern of challenging the ability of photographs to save an irreversible moment especially since the moment is a moment of the process of declining. Study shows in using the characteristic of “endless” possibilities of making different images of the same negative or file most of the time the final image is more similar to paintings than photographs.
In conclusion, the study revealed that in 1390’s Iranian photography, photographers sometimes relied on the "irreversibility" characteristic of photography to preserve a meaningful moment, or in a self-destructive manner, to record a moment of deterioration. In other cases, by distorting the photograph's ability to preserve that moment or object, they accentuated the suffering of irreversibility. Photographers often employed outdated or expired photos, damaged film, and similar materials, and sometimes contributed to the deterioration process through manipulation or alternative printing methods. When a negative or digital file is altered to undermine the permanence of an irreversible moment, photographicity is achieved, as the photographer both emphasizes irreversibility and creates a new negative or file. Another way to achieve photographicity in this decade was through the use of old photographs in a contemporary context, which appeared in two forms: photomontage and the physical manipulation of photos in photographic arrangements. These images often evoke a nostalgic atmosphere, mourning the irreversibility of the past. However, in some cases, the physical use of photographs suggested a critical approach. By altering the context or the way old photos were displayed, photographers subverted the preferred reading and introduced new meanings, as seen in Parham Taghioff's “Bookmark series”. The use of old photos in the photographic scene, not only as printed images but also as projected images onto objects, was also evident in two series: Light and Soil by Saba Alizadeh and Demo by Ali Najian and Ramyar Manouchehrzadeh. Unlike other works, these series linked the irreversible and the endless, not by mourning the passage of time or a lost object, but by critiquing the continuous presence of those moments in contemporary life. Therefore, it can be concluded that photographers in the 2010s often achieved photographicity by challenging the irreversible and combining the past with the present. Unlike Soulages, who believed that photographers using this aesthetic approach were primarily concerned with capturing the essence of photography, photographers in 2010s Iran did not solely focus on the essence of photography. Their aesthetic approach encompassed a broader range of perspectives and subjects.