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Thanks to: Simon Max Bannister and his family : Adam, Paul and Alison Bannister, Kate Grogh, Tasha Weddapohl ...
Calendar of our journey in South Africa
Journey across South Africa: The Sprit of Rocks and Water
Works in Rock Creek River- Washington DC
Red People - Kansas City Missouri
Carved Stones in Santa Fe (New Mexico)
Holiness of Image Hidden Treasure in Santa Fe (New Mexico)
Environmental Works by Ahmad Nadalian in UK
Prehistoric Fish Found in Central Park Thursday, May 24, 2007 Abigail Doan A week or so ago my Iranian artist friend, Dr. Ahmad Nadalian, visited New York City and several other US cities on an official invite for a sponsored exhibition that he was having in Washington, D.C. I met him on a bright, sunny morning in the northern woods of Central Park where he was carving several of his 'prehistoric' river art fishes. Dr. Nadalian has a long tradition of submerging his carved rocks in rivers and bodies of water where they might forever add to the spirit and environmental protection of the place. The artist also views the fish symbol as being emblematic of the human soul.
http://abigaildoan.blogspot.com
Persian Gulf Environmental Art Festival Second section
Environmental Art Festival on the Persian Gulf
Reaction to ignoring historic site
New Print on Sand in the Coast of Persian Gulf
New Carved Rocks in Hormoz Island (Persian Gulf) March 2007
New works by Nadalian in “Verdearte” 2006: Italy
Print on Sand in the Coast of Persian Gulf Works By Ahmad Nadalian
Click Here to Download larger size Images
Utne Magazine May-June 2006 USA
Ahmad Nadalian
Nadalian: River Art An interview by John K. GRANDE Nadalian is an Iranian sculptor whose life's work involves engendering respect for living creatures and the natural environment. To achieve this, besides living with nature himself, he established sculpture grounds in a peaceful environment in natural surroundings. Water is a living element that contributes to his sculptures, and many of the symbols he engraves and sculpts are derived from ancient mythology and the rituals of pre-Islamic civilizations. more
By carving simple fish shapes and other forms onto small stones and river rocks, artist Ahmad Nadalian seeks to repopulate the spirit of neglected streams and rivers in his native Iran and around the world and share these treasures with future generations. more
Persian Gulf Environmental Art Festival Second section
Environmental Art Festival on the Persian Gulf
Reaction to ignoring historic site
New Print on Sand in the Coast of Persian Gulf
New Carved Rocks in Hormoz Island (Persian Gulf) March 2007
New works by Nadalian in “Verdearte” 2006: Italy
Works in Rock Creek River- Washington DC
Red People - Kansas City Missouri
Carved Stones in Santa Fe (New Mexico)
Journey across South Africa: The Sprit of Rocks and Water
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Journey across South Africa: Black & White People
During my journeys across the globe I tried to see cultural, social and political environments in relation to nature.
On September 10 we visited, Johannesburg City: we walk alongside a local market in Alexander Township. I noticed that they sold pieces of earth. I discovered that women, who are pregnant, traditionally eat these pieces of earth. This indicated a link between being a mother and earth.
I South Africa we visited Ingrid Gruin and Chatillon’ s house and garden- were told about spirit rocks by Credo Mutwa. Ingrid Gruin offered a gift to me. A book named Adam's Calendar.
In 24th September we then drove into the Redhill Settlement Village. We approached a group sitting round a fire. One of the women had orange ochre on her face, I questioned her what it was and they showed us the local clay rock. A man then decided to crush some with water and paint his face to demonstrate; he then painted my face too.
This was quite amusing for the people watching and so we seemed to be welcomed by the community. We then ventured deeper into the village, were welcomed to see inside some people’s shacks (houses). We met a young man by the name of Steven and asked if he would like to be part of the Zebra hand project. Max drew with charcoal and rock on some of the rusted corrugated iron, while I carved giraffes into a large rock.
In South Africa I saw a society that shows a mixture of Africa and the West. I felt still after many years that the dominating effects of Apartheid are not over; there is distance and gap between poor and the rich, black and white.
Kate Grogh and Children
I am not black, nor white, perhaps something in between. Having this color, I also met many respected people, mostly white, who try to bring equality. They do their best to educate the society whose majority is black.
We shouldn’t forget that regardless of races or richness or poorness, now we face with global social, political and of course ecological crises.
Our children, like my little fish cannot survive in a polluted environment.
We must help them to exist.
This is a duty where there are many hands that need to touch.
The pattern on the skin of a zebra inspired me to realize a project named “black and white”, where I paint with white color on black skin and black color on white skin to make them similar.
This can also affect the life of other creatures.
Through interaction and collaboration we may be able to build a better environment for us, other creatures, and of course the next generation.
Max and I arranged a workshop and created a collaborative work with some African children. We encouraged them to collect waste material and to create music with these items, a magical way to recreate new life with discarded objects. Max encourages them to paint with chalk on the rocks, and so they made an environmental installation. We enjoyed their creativity and dance. It was a great day.
At Eden campus I used a video projection and design of a shell spiral on the face of Max.
He usually likes archetypal symbols such as spiral or circle. I also extended my project named border, which started in Serbia.
Max says as a South African, he has European heritage in the family. So having this background, one can question, which culture is he? The same question can be raised for larger communities that include people from many nationalities, do we shape our borders or do borders shape us? The concept behind this project is that we live within the racial, geographical, political, social and cultural borders. Despite all political conflicts, in comparison to past times, now people are more mobile and so, more mixed cultures will be born.
Another new experience for me was to use colored earth on the body of a Whale shark. I paint a three-headed snake on the body of shark.
I use colored earth and decided to create my own “mythological creature” and proceeded to paint a three-headed snake on the body of the shark.
A three headed snake for Persian is a dragon and related to dualistic religion of Zoroastrian. It was symbol of evil. At a later Islamic period, a famous Persian poet converted this evil power to an evil king who had two snakes on his shoulder. In a way within Islamic monotheism, old mythology survived as now Persians read it. Furthermore, Moslem mystics interpreted a dragon or any evil symbols such as divas, as our deeds and carnal soul.
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