Nicky Nodjoumi
dal 18/2/2009 al 27/3/2009
Segnalato da
18/2/2009
Nicky Nodjoumi
Priska C. Juschka Fine Art, New York
The Formulaic Nature of Appearances. By speaking of two worlds simultaneously, the Western Hemisphere and the Middle East, these paintings evoke individual dialogues against a continuous backdrop of ambiguity, allegory and irony. Nodjoumi uses a visual narrative that combines Persian metaphors and Iranian iconography with references of Western and foremost American culture and politics.
Priska C. Juschka Fine Art is pleased to present The Formulaic Nature of
Appearances, new paintings by Iranian born artist Nicky Nodjoumi. By speaking
literally and figuratively of two worlds simultaneously, the Western Hemisphere and
the Middle East, Nodjoumi evokes individual dialogues against a continuous backdrop
of ambiguity, allegory and irony.
Nodjoumi creates large scale oil paintings using a visual narrative that combines
Persian metaphors and Iranian iconography with references of Western and foremost
American culture and politics. The inherent symbolism of Mullahs and Ayatollahs
juxtaposed with that of suit clad Western bureaucrats suggests an extremely delicate
balance between and beyond all cultural and sociopolitical boundaries. On his
canvases, the struggle against tyranny and domination, both personal and universal,
unfolds seemingly in front of the viewer's eye. Nodjoumi directs a staged scenario,
full with connotations, revealing the hypocrisy within our societies whether
in form of ideological or physical exploitation, male supremacy or sexual
repression.
In his most recent paintings, Nodjoumi expands into an even more complex landscape
where his characters become synonyms for the conflicts within the
constructed equilibrium of power. Invoking the ideas of the Flat Earth Theory that
formerly preceded the occidental idea of Enlightenment, Nodjoumi leads the viewer
into a world of separations by visually dissecting the composition with dividing
lines. The result is a new formation onto the picture plane - Nodjoumi placing
his subjects either above ground, suggesting the existing world or below into a
nondescript, subterranean space equivalent to the underworld. Analogous to the
legendary figure of Orpheus in Greek mythology alluring his audience with his songs
and poems; Nodjoumi's narrative leads through a world full of creatures,
hovering above and below ground and similarly leaving an overall sensation of
displacement behind. Furthermore, by unveiling the precarious relationship between
oppressed and oppressor akin to the Social Pyramids of the ancient pharaohs'
Nodjoumi leaves us with a distinct notion of unsettlement - as if nothing has
changed ever since societies' first formation.
Nicky Nodjoumi was born in 1942 in Kermanshah, Iran and currently lives and works in
Brooklyn, New York. He earned his B.A. from Tehran University of Fine Arts in
Tehran, Iran and his MFA from the City College of New York in 1974. Nodjoumi's work
has been the subject of several national and international solo exhibitions
including Seyhon Gallery, Aria Gallery and a 1980 Retrospective at The Tehran Museum
of Contemporary Art, in Tehran, Iran. Most recently, Nodjoumi co-curated "Ardeshir
Mohassess: Art and Satire in Iran" with Shirin Neshat at the Asia Society and
Museum, New York, NY.
Opening reception: Thursday, February 19, 6:00 - 9:00 PM
Priska C. Juschka Fine Art
547 West 27th Street - New York
Gallery hours: Tuesday through Saturday 11:00 to 6:00 PM or by appointment.
Free admission