Article

Article by Massoud Shojai Tabatabai

This transformation of essence and material is one of the key techniques for generating ideas, allowing the artist to express complex and abstract concepts in a visual and impactful manner.

Image 1: Transformation of Iron into Bread in Derambakhsh’s Work (1985):
This transformation symbolizes industrialization, the loss of values, and the change in the functionality of objects. Bread, as a symbol of life, sustenance, and tradition, contrasts with iron, representing industry, modernity, and alienation. This transformation reflects the transition from a traditional society to an industrial one and the fundamental changes that come with it.

Image 2: Transformation of an Apple into a Stone in Magritte’s Work, “The Souvenir of a Voyage” (1963):
One of the most prominent examples of object transformation is presented in this work. This seemingly simple change holds layers of complex philosophical and psychological meanings. The apple, in many cultures, symbolizes knowledge, sin, and temptation.

Transforming it into a stone conveys the idea that appearances can be deceiving. Magritte, in one of his famous works, writes under the painting of a pipe, “This is not a pipe!”

Image 3: The Transformation of a Clock in Dalí’s Work, “The Persistence of Memory” (1931):
This is one of the most prominent and influential paintings of the surrealist style, created by Salvador Dalí. In this work, clocks, instead of functioning as precise instruments for measuring time, appear soft and melting, draped over various objects. This transformation, while creating an intriguing and surreal visual, also conveys profound ideas about time, memory, and reality.

Concepts:

• Breaking Visual Conventions: By transforming objects, the artist challenges visual norms and expectations, forcing us to view the world around us in a new way.
• Creating Wonder and Surprise: These unexpected changes evoke wonder and surprise in the audience, capturing their attention.
• Expressing Abstract Concepts: Many abstract concepts like time, space, identity, and existence are difficult to express directly. Transforming objects allows the artist to visually and more tangibly convey these ideas.

• Tags
• #Object
• #Transformation
• #Magritte
• #Dalí
• #Derambakhsh
• #Massoud Shojai tabatabai