January across the central desert of Iran with Benjamin Hewett

Tag : seals punctures
January across the central desert of Iran with Benjamin Hewett
Report by Ahmad Nadalian, RiverArt
In January 2008 we received British sculptor, Benjamin Hewett (Ben) who came to our Paradise.


He showed me his carvings that to me seem to be the standard of anartist from the west, but I was impressed of his life, and the waythat he lives in the top of an old oak tree in west Wales andusually consumes and lives off the food which is "out of date". Hewas not fully aware that the way that he lives can be a good baseto be an eco-artist. He lives on the top of a tree and issensitive about the waste of food. What he needed was to write astatement and introduce this way of life as an art concept.



Ben worked in my studio for three weeks and produced a number ofcarvings. As we worked, we discussed a lot and now he agrees withme that his life can be his art. In my view his tree house and whyhe eats wasted food is more interesting than his carvings.

In January 2008, Ben participated in the; Dream of Peace, the 15thEnvironmental Art Festival in the Persian Gulf, workingindividually and helping us to realize other collaborativeprojects, supporting peace and a reaction against war.



Then Ben traveled to different parts of Iran and exploring ourcountry, in some areas he continued to produce sculptures.

He stayed in Iran for three months and now he is proficient inPersian. In my recent trip to the central desert of Iran heaccompanied me and my family and we traveled to the Maranjab deserton the southern side of the Sea of Salt.


http://www.wwwebart.com/riverart/sandprints/maranjab/index.htm
http://www.wwwebart.com/riverart/sandprints/maranjab/persian/index.htm

First we traveled to the historic city of Kashan, and from there wetargeted the Sea of Salt. On our way we explored the desert andsaw the beauty of the new spring flowers coloring this normallyarid landscape and the creatures of the desert.
Print on Sand in the Maranjab Desert
I know that this area is mostly sand and desert. I designed andproduced three cylinder seals. Ben and my son Behzad assisted meto print these new seals in the sand and then took photos of me,while I worked. I usually suggest a location and start to print.Sometime a single line which shows a sequence of creatures andsometimes I make a pattern. The best photos can be taken in theearly morning or the late afternoon when the sun is at its lowest. More






We visited and old fortified building which served the travelers ofthe caravan ( Carawansara ) in the southern part of the Sea of Salt. It was amazing to seesuch a paradise in the middle of desert and imagine in the old timewhen people trod the Silk Road and after fifty kilometers walk eachday used it as a place of rest.



On our way one of my vehicles had a puncture. I didn't want to riskdriving on the spare wheel, so I decided to drive fifty kilometerback and repair my tire then continue my journey. In this remoteregion it is dangerous to go into it without a 4X4.



Our final destination was the Sea of Salt. We drove to south eastpart of the sea which has no water but is wet. More



It looked like a magical land and we felt that we were on antherplanet. A layer of salt covered everywhere. The texture and colorswere so different I used a stick and designed many fish on the seabed. When I scratched through the salt layers and revealed theclay beneath. I felt this sea needed some fish. More
http://www.wwwebart.com/riverart/iran/salt_sea/index.htm
http://www.wwwebart.com/riverart/iran/salt_sea/persian/index.htm



When we returned to Kashan we also visited some historic houses.They are amazing in architectural terms of design, space andgeometrical patterns.



While Ben was with us he always criticizesed people who left theirgarbage, plastic bottles and bags in nature. He also criticizespeople around the world including Iranians that waste food.



He said on his way to Iran while in transit in Milan airport hecouldn't let the food in the restaurant be wasted and happilydevoured it. I suggest a performance related to this fact for hislast dinner before his departure to the UK. More Images



We went to a fast food restaurant near Engelab square and Ben madeone performance. He consumed the left over food wasted by itscustomers. This was a symbolic action to show people they shouldnot waste food. They should buy only as much as they can eat. Billions of tons of food are thrown away each year, while millionsof people suffering from starvation and hunger. The costumers weresurprised why this foreigner who was eating the left over food. Some of them realized that their food may be eaten and quicklyfinished their plates and took the left overs with them. More Images



On the 2 nd of April 2008, Ben went back home. Before he left I give him oneof my carvings which had a design of a bird. I called this bird"the Bird of Peace". Ben will take it home and make a nest in ahollow of a tree where he lives and this bird will start a newlife. More Images



As an Iranian, I thought this can be the best present to give tothe people of UK.
I remember in April last year when I was in UK, at the same timewhen the British navy trespassed into Iranian waters and werearrested by the Iranian navy, I took my fish to the water of the Ukand no one arrested my fish. Creatures of our planet live withoutborders. More Images


INTERVIEW with Benjamin Hewett :

Que; why have you decided to live within nature?
Only after thirty years of living in London did I realize thatthere was more to life than commuting to work every day on acrowded train or stuck in traffic jam breathing in fumes. Thenafter much thought I made the move to the countryside It was onlyuntil I built my tree house and that I started living in it that Iunderstood the power of nature. The tree house is designed to movewith the wind, and only when you are living in it with high windsdo you understand why nature must be strong and compatible with itssurroundings in order to live in harmony.

Que; what is your motivation for traveling to Iran
I have known Iranian people in London and enjoyed their company andcuisine. But also was intrigued to see behind the curtain that thewest has put up, the propaganda that has tarred the face of Iran. Iwanted to travel blind without a guide book to just let it happen,and not follow the same path as other tourists.

Que; what inspiration did you gain from environmental artists?
Only after I was invited to work on Nadalians studio did I realizethat there was more to my work than just sculpture, and that theFreegan lifestyle that I live was very much connected to theenvironment! I felt that I had spread the message, and concentratemore on environmental art. I am planning to use what I have learntin Iran and start my own environmental art center, and collaboratewith other artists in this field.

Que; what disturbed you in Iran?
One of the things that upset me most was the way they treatedpublic spaces. The people spoke of their respect for oldtraditions, and faiths but I felt they didn't keep hold of themwhen they were outside of home. Having enjoyed being invited intoIranian family homes, and treated with fine hospitality,cleanliness, friendship, and respect. For then to go into thestreet where people somehow lost some of these attributes, and hadless respect for each other or the public space. Crossing the roadbecame a nightmare everyone obliviously unaware of the other driveror pedestrian, the blatant throwing of garbage, and wasted food.


Que; what impressed you in Iran?
That traditional skills are kept alive, and that traditions are notlost they are passed down from father to son. After previouslyvisiting the Taj Mahal in India realized that its architect isPersian, I became fascinated by the old designs of Iran. All aroundthe country I saw the harmony between nature, and architecture.

That there Is a good family bond, and helpfulness for the travelerI found that I could go with their agenda, and that's just whathappened to impress me.

Que; what is your impression about this festival?
Having been told that the festival had never had any outsidesponsorship I was very impressed. Arriving tired after a long busride, and boat trip, I was brightened up by an amazing island witha Martian type landscape surrounded by clear blue water. More thana hundred, young artists attended the festival over a few days.Their environmental art will send a strong message to the people ofour planet.

Que; what is the impact of war on the environment?
As we all know there will never be peace in our world, but bymaking a peaceful protest with art we can get the message across toothers in the hope they will listen. Visiting Abadan, andKhoramshar I saw at first hand the debris and scars of war whenonly across the river Iraq lay with its daily bloodshed.
After wars the environments become polluted by it, people stilllosing legs long after the soldiers have gone.

Que; what we environmental artist can do for global peace?
Since coming recently into environmental art, I have found that itsends a clear message directly to us, instead of having a piece ofart work in your home for the individual to enjoy. You have pieceof work that the general public can understand, and learn from.

The works can send a clearer message to all that our earth needslive in harmony, and not against it. More Images

About Ahmad Nadalian
Ahmad Nadalian is internationally known as one of the most activeenvironmental artists. He has been supported and sponsored by manydifferent organizations in many countries throughout the world,where he has performed numerous environmental art projects incountries such as; Italy, Germany, USA, UK, Spain, France, China,Netherlands, Greece, Russia, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan,Bangladesh, Finland, Lebanon, Syria, Azerbaijan, Sweden, Denmark, United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Kuwait, Turkey, Switzerland, Serbia&.and his homeland Iran.
Also he has been invited as a guest lecturer to differentuniversities, organizations and art centers, during his visits hehas given talks and workshops on a variety of relevant art issuessuch as Environmental and Interactive arts
He also organized many major environmental art festivals in hisnative country Iran, and has helped to supervise young environmenta l artists around the globe.
... Payvand News - 06/23/08 ...

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