Welcome to the beginning of what will be a really exciting colloboration between artists from the UK and Iran. This project was born from an ACE funded international fellowship that was hosted by Makers Dozen Studios in Wolverhampton, back in spring 2008. An artist from Iran came to work at the studios for three months on a research residency and through a series of conversations and discussions the idea of a colloborative project in the UK, between myself and the artist began. This idea was strengthend when I visitied Iran in November 2008, to meet and discuss the project with a number of other Iranian aritists.
This project takes as its centeral theme the idea of looking and being looked at. It will investigate the issues that exist in 'looking and being loooked at' and will seek to find new ways of addressing the assumptions that can be made about the relationship that exists between artist and model. The project will also examine the the outcome of viewing work that has been displaced from one culture to another. Political sensitivities in Iran mean that there are great restrictions on what is acceptable when working from the model. What will happen when the artists have the freedom to work in a culture that has a long history of figuartive art and how will this change of enviroment affect the production, perception and consumption of the work?
The project will be formed by three areas of activity; reserach, production/public engagement and critical writing. As part of the initial stages of the project the artists would like to ask the following questions. Your views would be greatly appreciated.
1. Do you want to know more about the relationship that exists between the artist and the model?
2. Do you think that this is a subject that should be discussed from the point of view of the model and spectator as well as the artist?
3. Have you thought about how the relationship between artist and model may affect the work of art produced?
