Shabahang Tayyari: Stop counting the waves following me, you seabirds!

Gallery 2

Stop counting the waves following me, you seabirds! is a container of different scenarios that are in tension with the capacity of the exhibition, matters of uniformity, replication, flatness, originality, fiction, and exclusivity. Shabahang Tayyari explores these themes within the frame of each painting, between the different frames, and throughout the overall installation and spatial arrangement of the works.

The deliberate arrangement of the paintings, with four triangular corner pieces along with the orientation of the waves purposefully guides viewers on a clockwise journey through the exhibition. Numbered and titled in tandem, the waves evoke the three-dimensional maquettes traditionally employed by performers to emulate the fluid motion of the ocean, while their outline drawings are informed by the curves and harmonies of Persian-Arabic calligraphy.

The paintings seamlessly flow into one another, with each work acting as both a continuation of its own narrative, and a source of inspiration for others. While the graphical shapes of the waves remain consistent across all sixteen works, subtle variations in the heights, distances between the two black and blue waves, and the painterly quality of the gouache paint on un-primed canvases imbue each piece with its distinct character.

A thick, black moquette covers the exhibition floor, transforming the gallery into a domestic space. The raw canvases and wooden frames complement this ambiance, inviting the viewer to embark on a semi-Orphic experience.

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