Iranian art as a complex and ambiguous art received changes in the history. It follows the Iranian spiritual feelings. Iranian art has a simple shape and it is far from European romantic and gothic periods, however, it is full of complexity and word play the complexity of Iranian art is the product of three geographic and historic factors. The first factor is orientalism about which Herbert Reid said: it has conceptual layers. The second factor is mixing with Islam around 1400 years ago and finally, connection western
world (because of Iranian special geography which was interrelated with Europe either by diplomatic relationship or by invasion. There for, Iranian art includes the beliefs of oriental art, Islamic art and western art.
Orientalism
Iranian art
Islamic art
Relation with western art
Delineation of each art’s territory is not easy. His relation between Iranian art not only in surface level but also in deep artistic concepts is combined. It is a unique combination which concepts are combined. It is a unique combination which was declared to the people of the world as Islamic. Iranian art unfortunately, the complexity of Iranian art caused one dimensional look at this art in the history. Because of lack of special methodology for understanding the hidden and fundamental concepts of Iranian art, it was always superficial. Undoubtedly, moving toward knowing of Identity of Iranian art needs complete study. The first step here is the review of mutual relation of different arts within Iranian territory. This book tries to explain Iranian art as a parallel in a collection. This book defines 3 main stages. The first stage is collecting different art as a descriptive art. In this stage different books have reviewed and the information of them is taken.
In this stage even some of the text have presented without change from different book.
In the second stage it was attempted to describe the unique model for comparing of different arts. By the charts. These charts are the collected on the base of historical times and the recognizing of artistic characteristic. And is formed like a chart. These charts are given in the end of the each chapter as an abstract.
In the third stage, the writer is trying to compare and deduce the basic concepts of charts that are reviewable as a basic principle of Iranian art theory.
Undoubtedly, the third stage that is presented in the end of this book is the only first factor of editing the principle of theory in the Iran’s art stage. The completing these theories and understanding the theme of Iran’s art as a complete form need to specialized researches in any artistic stage.
2-1 the problems of research
Because the theories sources of Iran’s art were limited and in this limited space of science, the most part of the researches have done by non Iranian researchers the editing and deep knowledge of Iran’s art is very difficult. The problem of using these artistic sources is presented in three Stages.
In the first stage, Iranian researchers usually have collected information without any editing of research method. In this stage the most information transformed from oral speaking to writing. The focus of attention of Iranian researchers is on the work itself it’s characteristics this factor cause the reasons of formation and creation of one work to be less displayed. There fore, it is impossible to analyzing the art’s substructure
In the second stage foreign researchers have collected works by editing the model of research. But unfortunately, the dominant thinking on the historical division is based on the west history. The difference of understanding history caused the very valuable works of second century to be less important.
Third stage is one dimensional look at art history: the third problem for achieving the historical encyclopedia of Iran’s art is non adaptation of different arts and their method of impressiveness on each other. This caused the effect of arts on each other to be less important.
3-1- the method of research
Because the achievement of art encyclopedia needs deep looking, the main center of historical reviewing in this writing is attention to analyzing history. Descriptive history is only presented in the end of each part as a table.
In editing of this collection two hypotheses is the center of collecting studies.
1) The impressionable of art in the field of socio culture
2) Time coincidence of different artistic varieties in these different arts.
The general model of this division is based on the conceptual division of art in which arts divide into general field that is visual arts and dramatic arts. But in the details of this divisions, did not observed the seven art model and the focus of attention is the main arts of Iran that is drawing, music, literature (poem)
The second point in the historical reviewing of art encyclopedia as the knowledge of historical indexes of that art. Arts are analyzed as a form of historical art until can review weak and strong point of each art. Because of this method of research, each art have historical principles and special swaying times for example, while Mongol attack had much effect on drawing art, the Alexander attack on architecture art.
The third point in this system is the collecting of information. Because of the vast scope of historical geographical art of Iran, some of the works have remained out of Iran and the more information has collected as a library. But in collecting of information have been tried that the information sources to be approved by several sources. Until we can refer to them this method of collecting information caused that the information to be valid. But in any case, some of the information remains unanalyzed. The forth point in this writing, is non attention to philosophical meanings of art. It is mean that the writer did not like to define art and have not involved this book in philosophical challenges, there fore undoubtedly; some of the presented works is not artistic works by the view point of audiences. As a matter of the fact that this works play a role in historical evolution of Iran’s art, they have been reviewed.
4-1- place territory
One of the problems of editing this writing was non existence of definite place territory. It is mean that the country of Iran, because of special geographical situation, have not definite political border and even caused in the some of the ages the name of this country to be deleted from the broad world. In any case, what has been reviewed in this writing had been the world meaning of Iranian art that undoubtedly the main part of this works is not in political border of Iran in the most historical times of under study Iraq eastern part of the turkey, the south of Russia an common wealth countries, Afghanistan and Pakistan is in the creation territory of artistic art of Iran that in this writing we had paid to it.
5-1- time period
The historical period which is studied starts from the first civilization in Iran and continues up to the current century. Because of that fact we can survey two main historical periods.
a) Before the Arian immigration. It includes the Mesopotamians
Civilization and independent civilization in Iranian current physical map.
B) after the Arian immigration: It starts from around 3600 years ago and in the end it forms the Medes civilization after immigration and presence of the three tribes, namely, Medes, Parthian and Persia in Iran. This country declared independence and formed Achaemenians governments as a cosmopolitan government.
Unfortunately, almost all academic research and studies separated the Iranians before and after Islam, However the compiler does not believe in that and call it a political separation which was defined and designed by Islam. In case of study of history the Iranian arts formation stages will be crystallized.