Mehdi Ghadyanloo
UNDERCURRENTS

On 14 June 2018, Howard Griffin Gallery will launch UNDERCURRENTS, a new body of work from Iranian artist Medhi Ghadyanloo, in Basel, Switzerland. The exhibition will occur during the week of the Art Basel fair at Nordstern, an industrial cargo ship moored to the banks of the River Rhine.

Throughout the vessel’s 7,000 square foot deck preternaturally serene seascapes depicting vast bodies of water in the mode of Magritte, Dalí or Yves Tanguy are displayed. Reference is also given to attempts of Romantic era artists in capturing the sublime through the portrayal of nature in its raw beauty. Within the paintings intense scenes of human drama from Ghadyanloo’s subconscious compete against infinite expanses of a wild and spirited nature with only the boundaries of the canvas in place to orientate the mind’s eye.

An exclusive focus on water expands the parameters of Ghadyanloo’s rapidly developing oeuvre both visually and conceptually and is a marked departure from the artist’s now familiar architectural compositions, geometric forms and arid desert landscapes. Additionally, Seth Troxler, a long-time Ghadyanloo collaborator, working through his Lost Souls of Saturn initiative with Phil Moffa, has created a sweeping score to further engage viewers of the exhibition.

Ever interested in investigating the human condition on a conceptual level, Ghadyanloo explores epistemological themes such as liminality and metaphorical uncertainty in each painting. The works of art are particularly concerned with those metaphorical spaces in which we may find ourselves adrift in and a sense of unease and helplessness is recognisably lurking above and below the boundless waters. In one painting, a black whirlpool centred beneath a pale sun suggests the threat of being dragged below while in another, empty ladders jutting out at angles from the water suggest the presence of people while each untouched rung emphasises their absence. Where people are present in the paintings, they crowd together for security in the middle of vast oceans either in endless processions or atop isolated structures. Ghadyanloo’s figures are indistinct and on occasion even naked thereby stripping them of any spatio-temporal context. Whether metaphors for a wider human philosophical condition, or victims of geopolitical circumstance, these uncertain human multitudes, united by a shared lostness, invite empathy and encourage the viewer to reflect on the wider circumstances of their own lives.

The intrinsic themes flowing through UNDERCURRENTS of transition, migration and uncertainty are reinforced by the geo-political context of the exhibition floating as it does on a ship mere metres from the combined Franco-German-Swiss border. In light of Ghadyanloo’s Middle Eastern origins, and by viewing each of the works in the same frame as the River Rhine, it is difficult not to contemplate the many thousands of migrants who have recently died crossing the waters of the Mediterranean in search of safety. This effect is compounded through Ghadyanloo’s anxiety laden depictions of various modes of transport such as the back half of a bisected aeroplane hovering above an unmoving ocean or a tiny rowing boat floating alone on a vast sea.

The works of art in UNDERCURRENTS embody the fact that Ghadyanloo’s interest in the shared human condition is never far below the surface. By subtly tapping into the political currents of the day in a shifting and transitional world, Ghadyanloo traces a nuanced view of our shared humanity filled with both hope and despair.

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Howard Griffin Gallery Off-Site Project at:

Nordstern
Westquaistrasse 19
4057 Basel
Switzerland

14 to 17 June 2018

Sales information

For details regarding original Mehdi Ghadyanloo works of art and information about the forthcoming series of UNDERCURRENTS limited edition screen prints please contact:

sales@howardgriffingallery.com<mailto:sales@howardgriffingallery.com>

For those who don’t know of Mehdi and want to know a bit about him:-


Mehdi Ghadyanloo (b. 1981) is an Iranian artist known for his utopian and philosophical paintings that interrogate universal human precepts such as fear, hope and loss. Through the portrayal of minimal heterotopic environments, surreal architectural arrangements, and the repeated use of symbolic elements such as stairs, balloons and aeroplanes, Ghadyanloo invites us to consider new realities and the shared universality of our existence.

Ghadyanloo has always lived in Iran and grew up on a farm during the Iran-Iraq war. The uncertain experiences of war and sanctions had a lasting effect on his psyche. Through his works Ghadyanloo subconsciously encapsulates and expresses a sense of suspension for an entire generation living in Iran. Although at times somber, Ghadyanloo's work conveys hope that change can be effected, and it speaks with joy of what remains glorious in gloomy times.

Aside from his works on canvas, a wide range of print making techniques, and sculpture, Ghadyanloo is also one of Iran's foremost public artists. After answering an open call from the Municipality of Tehran's Beautification Bureau, Ghadyanloo painted over 100 gigantic murals throughout Tehran between 2004 and 2011. Ghadyanloo has since gone on to complete other large scale public art projects internationally and in 2016 became the first artist to be officially commissioned by both the US and Iranian governments since the 1979 Iranian revolution.

Ghadyanloo is also an active public speaker and has lectured extensively internationally. In 2018 Ghadyanloo was appointed as a Cultural Leader by the World Economic Forum at the Annual Meeting in Davos, Switzerland.

Wow I was a fan of his past work, but never felt the urge to buy a piece. This new body of work really has me excited and hoping to snag something from this new direction of his!

Beautiful work, surprised there isn't more talk of him outside of this forum

This guy has just started

Thank you for posting - I happen to be in Basel for work next week and will visit the show!

The depth of colour is truly beautiful in these. I have just started buying his work recently and it's really really nice. Prices are rising though, these new prints are close to £1k each. Nevertheless, i feel this guy is going places.....

Have to begrudgingly admit i do rather like these. very cool.

Thought this was supposed to be a secret?
I love them all but the door is my favorite. 

My opinion is there are a few collectors here who will know already. And there are prob a handful of others who might want to. At these prices they're only going to attract those who really want them. If Richard asks I'll remove the post!

Hanging at Basel.....

Did anyone see this exhibition? What did You think of it and Mehdi after beeing there?

Did this sell please

Anyone else looking forward to receiving a print by Mehdi? This will be my first.