Iran Modern

Focusing on the period from 1950 to 1979, this thoughtful and striking catalogue attempts a deepened understanding of modern Iranian art. In ten brief yet heavily informed essays, scholars and artists tour the contextual, political, and material concerns that shaped a few vibrant decades both in terms of Iran and the international art world. The modern history of the country is defined by an often turbulent combination of foreign and internal players%E2%80%94likewise, the history of Iranian art cannot be simplified to easy narratives of influence and style. The essayists all succeed in untangling Iran's dynamic art scenes from the rote explanations of Western inspiration and nationalist concerns that typically inform academic work. At the same time, the images illustrate an energetically varied art culture, from a conceptual steel and paper sculpture by Siah Armajani to the abstracted floral paintings of Abolghassem Saidi. Smartly, these materials are supplemented by historical documents%E2%80%94catalogue texts and reportage%E2%80%94that give an intimate sense of the period as it was lived. As Iran continues to attract the dubious attention of the Western world, this catalog proves valuable, the images and essays alike insisting on an art scene that uniquely flourished in international significance while remaining powerfully of its own making. Color illus. (Nov.)