Parvaneh Etemadi’s utterly pure, poetic and easy depiction of still life in this work reminds us of delicate illustrations for children. This colorful vision, comparable to a still centuries-old fossil, is shining against the face of the earth. It is as if an age-old fossil, obviously endowed by the life-giving element of color, has been depicted on the canvas. It is an old motif of a large dreamlike bouquet of flowers that clearly shows the painter’s mindset. Paint has been applied according to a sequence of cool and warm colors so as to direct the spectator’s attention to the center of the picture, where red and orange hues are dense. In addition to color, lines also play a pivotal role in the visual expression of the work. Dark, peripheral and sometimes deepened lines formed by the texture give dark and light colors a certain projection, appearing to be flowers grown on the canvas.
Different periods in Parvaneh Etemadi’s career can be studied through certain visual qualities as well as recurring patterns in form and subject, but perhaps more importantly, through the materials in her work. These are as diverse as still life, gossamer and cashmere, pomegranates, and collages. Textures also vary from subtle touches of color pencil to white cement panels that, in a different viewpoint, indicate her seeking nature and willingness to experiment. In general, Parvaneh Etemadi quite meticulously chooses the right texture and material for her work, and exploits a variety of exotic materials in preparing the background to bring the audience face to face with a dreamlike stretch of color and texture.
The unique work presented here is selected out of Etemadi’s collection of artworks made of cement, one of the most significant periods in his career and one of the oldest works of this period. A similar work from the same collection was sold for $68,500 at Christie’s Dubai auction, 2010.
