The cover design of the book "The History of Superstitions" by Hossein Zenderoudi which was later applied to the works of Faramarz Pilaram is the origin of School of Saqqakhaneh in Iran.
That’s according to Abbas Mashhadizadeh, known by many artists and reviewers as a gem in the oral history of contemporary visual arts in Iran. In an exclusive interview with Honaronline, he talks extensively about the history of academic sculpting which dates back to the early 20th century as well as founding of the Tehran College of Visual Arts in 1939 by French architect Andre Godard, which helped to revolutionize contemporary art in Iran.
According to the contemporary artist, the College paved the way for development of the School of Saqqakhaneh: "The School of Saqqakhaneh has its roots in the Tehran College of Decorative Arts which was established later. In those years, it was a trend to allow painters to design book covers based on content. Hossein Zenderoudi designed the cover of the book The History of Superstitions. It was an instant hit and commended by many. The appellation was later used by other painters, including Faramarz Pilaram, before being widely recognized as the School of Saqqakhaneh."
The appellation was initially applied to the works of artists, both in painting and sculpture, which used already existing elements from votive Islamic art in their own modern work. It gradually came to be applied more widely to various forms of modern Iranian painting and sculpture that used traditional-decorative elements.
Mashhadizadeh says he plans to organize a visual arts exhibition this year, adding, "I would very much like to create a bust of Mirza Hassan Roshdieh. He modernized education in Iran. No one is aware that he also introduced alphabet, blackboard and teacher to our schools."
When did academic visual arts studies in the current shape and form originate in Iran? When did we start having graduate-level courses in architecture and sculpting?
In 1939, Tehran University invited French architect and archeologist Andre Godard to set up an academic school of visual arts similar to those in Paris. He used to work here as an archeologist. He agreed to build the College of Visual Arts at Tehran University. The initial courses were in architecture, painting, and sculpting. But we never saw any sculpting courses. Master Sculptor Abolhassan Seddiqi was expected to teach some of those courses, but he never did. He is the creator of famous statues of Ferdowsi, Khayyam and Sa’adi. He was a pioneer in his field.
Did you know him personally?
I was a friend of his one and only student Ali Akbar San’ati. He helped me see Seddiqi in person in hospital where he was receiving medical treatment. It was the first and the last time I saw him.
Did San’ati use the appellation of Seddiqi in his works?
They worked with different styles. Perhaps, this is because they were from different generations. Seddiqi wanted to create magnificent statues that could last for eternity, like the Tomb of Nader. Quite the contrary, San’ati was raised as an orphan. He was sent to study painting at Kamalol Molk School where he came to know Seddiqi. After graduating from school, he returned to Kerman to teach sculpting and painting to orphaned kids. One of his students was Ali Qahhari Kermani. He created the statue of Zakaria Razi which is placed at Tehran’s Razi Square.
Who were the first-ever graduates of Tehran College of Visual Arts?
Jalil Ziapour was the first graduate, followed by Hossein Kazemi and Shokouh Riyazi. These people went to complete their studies in Paris. After returning to Iran, they worked as translators to build communication channel between French instructors and Iranian scholars at the College. The next generation of graduates included Masoud Arabshahi, Faramarz Pilaram and Hossein Zenderoudi. The College was a pioneer in offering graduate-level painting courses. In the following years, Ziapour established the All-Boys College (Honarestan) of Visual Arts, similarly offering academic courses in painting and visual arts.
Besides these institutions, was there any other graduate-level school of visual arts?
In 1936, a traditional art school was founded in Isfahan, teaching traditional arts such as miniature, painting and ceramics. Some 11 years later, a similar art school was founded in Tebriz, followed by the All-Boys College (Honarkadeh) of Visual Arts in 1953 in Tehran, offering academic courses in painting, miniature and sculpting. Late, we saw another art school teaching similar courses, but this time only to girls. Interesting enough, every year there were three top graduates (12 in total) from each and every one of these all-girls and all-boys schools that were introduced to the Culture Ministry. They all received government scholarships to study in Italy and France. The ministry also established the College of Visual Arts for other top graduates to continue their higher education within the coutnry. I was one of them.
Why did you decide to study there?
As a graduate in topography I was working for an engineering firm. A friend of mine named Behzad Golpayegani asked me to apply for a seat at this new College (Honarkadeh) of Visual Arts. I was too busy but took the entry exams and passed. I was offered a place to study for a degree in sculpting. It was there that I came to know Parviz Tanavoli. He received scholarship to study in Italy. I had to work and study at the same time. It was a difficult period. However, I managed to graduate with top grades. I could have got scholarship and gone to Italy to continue my higher education there, but I declined. One year later, the College of Decorative Arts was founded. I was offered a seat to study there, without having to take the entry exams.
Which courses did they offer at the College of Decorative Arts?
The College responded to the needs of the new generation by establishing some alternative fields of study under the direction of foreign and Iranian instructors. Various fields of study such as decorative painting, graphic design, sculpture, and interior architecture with a major emphasis on applied arts were taught in this College. We had to take each one of these courses. This helped us to choose the main field of study wisely. I chose to graduate in architecture and three years later I took sculpting courses.
This was an applied arts college, competing with the Tehran College of Visual Arts. The latter didn’t have many bright graduates. The exceptions were Sadeq Barirani, Sohrab Sepehri, Abbas Kiarostami, Manouchehr Motabar, and Kambiz Deram Bakhash. Last year, I organized a workshop for kids with Deram Bakhsh.
Who were your instructors at the College?
Our history and art instructor was Assad Behrouzan. Arthur Upham Pope (1881-1969) used to call Behrouzan his godson. He was American educator, author, and ardent advocate of Persian art and architecture. From the 1920s until his death in 1969 and together with his wife Phyllis Ackerman, he introduced and promoted Persian art and culture through publications, exhibitions, congresses, lectures and graduate-level courses. According to his will, he was buried with his wife next to the Zayandeh River in Isfahan. Pope wanted the Iranians to appreciate the wonders of their architecture from earlier centuries and to draw on it as inspiration for modern buildings.
Other instructors included Dariush Shayegan (Indian Methodology), Mehrdad Bahar (Iranian Methodology), Sadeq Kia (Early Calligraphy), Yahya Zoka (History of Arabic Costumes, Jewelry and Alphabet), Assadollah Kayhani (Anatomy), Karim Emami (Language), and Parviz Tanavoli (Painting).
Many are of the opinion that the School of Saqqakhaneh was some kind of reaction to the post-colonial Iran. This is while Iran was never colonized by foreign powers. You have demonstrated close affinity with the School’s aesthetics. How did the School advance itself?
The School of Saqqakhaneh has its roots in the Tehran College of Decorative Arts. One of the shared traits of most members of the group was that they had some affiliation with the College, either as students or instructors. The institution was established in 1961 with the aim of training experts in the applied arts.
In those days, people used to design book covers based on their contents. Hossein Zenderoudi designed the cover of the book The History of Superstitions. It got the attention of many. His appellation became the standard practice for other painters. The aesthetic affinities and similarities in these works later came to be known as the School of Saqqakhaneh. The movement tried to modernize and contemporize itself, a move that Tehran University should have sponsored, but it never did. What you see today at museums worldwide are the traditional works and decorative elements that were created in those early days.
Any plan for an exhibition this year?
I very much like to have an art exhibition this autumn. I keep visiting galleries and they all want to work with me. I am confident that our future generations will have what it takes to take contemporary Iranian art to the next level.
Translation by Bobby Naderi