Farmanfarmaian works in series she calls "families," a term that indicates formal and conceptual connections linking works. She establishes initial aesthetic parameters for the series relating to composition, then applies these guidelines to shapes ranging from triangles to decagons. Despite these self-imposed rules, Farmanfarmaian states, "These geometric forms are miracles…One can create so much art based on them; they generate thousands of ideas. They offer infinite possibilities." To this end, she intuitively selects surface patterning and color to enhance her initial framework.
Farmanfarmaian's interests and influences are wide-ranging and informed by a lifetime spent between her native Iran and the U.S. Her work is a fusion of traditional Iranian techniques and materials and contemporary art movements. As she explains, "I'm taking old forms and making them modern." Within Sufism, which the artist has extensively studied, geometric forms contain symbolic references — associations Farmanfarmaian embraces. The artist's ever-changing — even, at times, disorienting — sculptural surfaces have drawn comparisons to the 20th century movements such as Op and Kinetic Art. Ultimately, however, her works largely defy categorizations, and are the product of circumstances uniquely her own.
This exhibition is part of deFINE ART 2017, held Feb. 21-24 at SCAD locations in Savannah and Atlanta, Georgia, and Hong Kong. DeFINE ART is an annual program of exhibitions, lectures, performances and public events that highlights emerging and established artists and visionaries.
