Volcano
| 2012
Volcano of Iran*
“In the past few thousand years, there hasn’t been a volcano eruption in our country. But we mustn’t forget the truth that the country of Iran, in the not so distant past (in geological terms), once had many volcanic activities, the evidence of which is in hundreds of inactive and semi-active volcanoes. Thus, one cannot positively claim that all volcanic activities in this land have grown silent.”*
(*National Geoscience Database of Iran)
The Tip of Evidence in Dashti’s Volcano
Gohar Dashti’s volcano is a must seen. For in a time that everyone waits for some kind of catastrophe – some think of the Apocalypse, some in chase of desolation at their abode and unabashedly some have a head for making the catastrophe – she doesn’t talk about catastrophe, not at least on the surface. Pictures are occupied by human laugh as though the camera is observing their laughter. Not clear that these humans are human or actors, puppets or puppeteers.
Dashti’s eyes are indeed thorough, acute and playful, they look everywhere around, from factory warehouses to laboratories of schoolgirls, from the yard of a modern house to the living room of an old one, from locker-room of schoolboys to an art gallery and etc. it’s not apparent why everybody is laughing so much? Part of Dashti’s art is how naturally she made them laugh! I don’t know why I’m saying “she made them”, as if we have forgotten how to laugh and how to make one laugh and how to do it naturally. As though, Gohar Dashti has created another world. And in this strange world the tip of a strange creature is evident. And still it’s not clear whether this tip tends to remain hidden like the rest of its body, or intends to reveal the mystery behind the laughs.
But one thing is clear, this tip is no stranger than those laughs; no, this tip is not the tip of the evidence.
“Mehran Mohajer” (Author & Artist)
