In this work, Parvaneh Etemadi has displayed a still life in an unassumingly candid and romantic way. This colorful fantasy is glowing in nature like a motionless quiet fossil that came into being ages ago. The prehistoric fossil seems to have come to life in the present work thanks to the life-giving element of color. It is an old picture of a flower and a vase that reveals the mindset of the artist. Lines play a significant role in the visual expression of this work. Peripheral carved lines project dark and light colors. Javad Mojabi comments on the works of Parvaneh Etemadi of this period, known as the “cement period”, “Themes of her works include objects and everyday ordinary things; flowers, fruits, flower pots (sometimes a tin can of cooking oil), chairs, and household objects. The theme of these works is modern life in which solitude, dominance of objects, agelessness, placelessness, and no sense of belonging reign. The tragedy of modern man is presented in the gap between the collapse of old values and emergence of modern values. The rebellion of an avant-garde person thrives in the context of this social destruction. During this period, Etemadi paints with a minimum of lines and colors, mostly using an invisible geometry. She tries to express these geometric arrangements in an implicit way.”[1]
Different periods of Etemadi’s work can be distinguished through specific recurring visual forms and themes and perhaps, more importantly, through the material she uses. Examples include the cement period, the color pencil period, and the recent collage period. She has always been fascinated by still life though. Flowers, lace, cashmere, and pomegranates are repeated in these periods in one way or another. Etemadi uses a variety of textures, ranging from fine touches of pencil color to white cement paintings. This indicates her analytical spirit and her willingness to experiment with new methods. In general, Etemadi is very selective in her choice of fabric, exploiting different materials in producing astonishing textures to provide the audience with a fantastic stretch of color and texture.
This singular work, belonging to Etemadi’s cement series – a significant period in her career – is an early work of this period. A similar work of this period was sold for $68,500 at the Christie’s Dubai auction in 2010.
[1] Mojabi, Javad, A Selection of Works by Parvaneh Etemadi, Honar Iran Publishing, first edition, 1998, P 15.
