LA Group Exhibition: In Search of the Dot that Created the Circle
Our North America debut shall see a selection of works from A Hidden Order as part of the group exhibition In Search of the Dot that Created the Circle: Geometry and Nature at the Seyhoun Gallery, 9007 Melrose Ave, West Hollywood
We are especially proud to exhibit alongside Keith Critchlow and Paul Marchant, both having made great contributions to the study and art of geometry as well as both being teachers of our own artist Sama Mara.
The above two artworks plus our full Video Suite shall be exhibited at the Seyhoun Gallery.
For further information see: www.zanbeelart.org
Zanbeel Art is Proud to Participate in Los Angeles/Islam Arts Initiative 2014.
Program includes Educational Workshops for the LA Inner City Schools & an Exhibition
In Search of the Dot that Created the Circle: Geometry In Nature
Participating Artists:
Keith Critchlow. Paul Marchant. Emma Clark in association with Petherick, Urquhart & Hunt. Simon Tretheway. Parveen Zuberi. Lisa DeLong. Tom Bree. Katya Nosyreva. Susana Marin. Shafon Miah. Kayo Kimura. Sara Salman. Sama Mara & Lee Westwood. Dana Awartani. Natasha Mann. Leila Dear.
Curated by Amina Ahmed & Santiago Navila
Conversation with the Curators: 4pm
Seyhoun Gallery
9007 Melrose Ave, West Hollywood, CA 90069
About the Exhibition
How is the transformative nature of geometry used in Islamic art?
The exhibition will explore this question through the practice of both teachers and alumni of The Prince’s School of Traditional Arts (PSTA). We will collectively journey through this universal tradition and see how it has been revived and continues in practice. To understand Islamic art, it is necessary to understand the archetypal order of nature which informs our perspectives and grants insight into that which is visible and that which is invisible. From these archetypes, we learn to navigate our way through the obscured but not unattainably hidden aspects of that which is either implicitly or explicitly rendered. The exhibition includes the works of master geometricians, Keith Critchlow and Paul Marchant as well as their students from both the East and the West, whose works in particular trace the dynamic manifestation of geometry in Islamic art, demonstrating the inclusive aspects of a discipline that is the essential underlying and symbolic principle that permeates all living things.
Professor Keith Critchlow is a painter, architectural designer and teacher. He is the founder of Visual Islamic and Traditional Arts (VITA) in 1984 which moved from the Royal College of Art (RCA) to (PSTA). Paul Marchant is a painter, teacher and a scholar of nature.
“You are One prior to all computation and ground to all figuration” Ibn Gabirol, 11th _ Century poet of Islamic Spain
“For Centuries, Practitioners of geometry have used the same implements as the ancient Egyptians – a compass or dividers, a straight edge and a tee square. These simple, reliable instruments were used to build the Great Pyramid, the Greek temples, the gothic cathedrals and the greatest mosques. The timeless wisdom that enabled the constructions of these awe inspiring structures has been handed down to the present day, along with the same basic tools. However, it is important to grasp that geometry is not simply a practical art of making things: it also has a deeper, more profound meaning – practically, philosophically and, most importantly, cosmologically. The craft guilds of Islam were crucial to the uploading of this knowledge.” Professor Keith Critchlow
“The practice of geometry is also regarded as a symbolic rite for continuous remembrance of the unifying creative principle underlying nature – one that helps maintain balance between the vertical and horizontal axes of peoples’ lives.” Paul Marchant
About Zanbeel Art
Mission:
Zanbeel Art is a non-profit 501 (c) (3)based in Los Angeles, California. The organization aims to provide a platform for the transnational cultural dialogue and for the sharing of ideas by means of educational programs and festivals in Visual Art, History, Literature, Film, and Music.
Vision:
Zanbeel Art brings exposure to established and emerging multinational South Asian artists. Our vision is to inspire and enrich marginalized communities and students of low socio-economic schools in the United States and South Asia. The programs extend beyond cultural boundaries by fostering an understanding of what brings us together and what it is that separates us. This inclusive platform nurtures a disparate society by giving it a voice through the arts.
About LA Islam Arts Initiative:
The Los Angeles / Islam Arts Initiative (LA/IAI) brings together nearly 30 cultural institutions throughout Los Angeles to tell various stories of traditional and contemporary art from multiple Islamic regions and their significant global diasporas. LA/IAI is the first-of-its kind, wide-scale citywide initiative on Islamic arts producing and presenting programming such as art exhibitions, panels, discussions, and performances. Anchoring LA/IAI are two connected exhibitions, Doris Duke’s Shangri La: Architecture, Landscape, and Islamic Art and the contemporary art exhibition, Shangri La: Imagined Cities commissioned by the Department of Cultural Affairs (DCA) to be held at DCA’s Los Angeles Municipal Art Gallery (LAMAG) at Barnsdall Park from October 26 to December 28, 2014