Masoud Sadedin Solo Exhibition

May 2024

Artists: Masoud Sadedin

Lines, drawing, archaic, art, fragmentation, aesthetics, expression, form, color, paper,
book, line, surface, idea, thought, feeling, contradictions, play, humor, non-art,
zero, not reaching an image, failure, habit of failure, habit of seeing failure as
power and motivation, image.
Also, images that take shape spontaneously during work. Internal, personal, and
private, erratic, without a specific goal or philosophy. An action and reaction based
on “something unexpected will happen” that will surprise me, will pull me out of
daily routines, a feeling of searching, of discovering something that gives meaning
in vain. Going with the flow of lines, something against instability, following existing
patterns or emerging patterns during work, being attentive and vigilant.
In contrast to painting, I can start drawing without planning, even with a mental
void or devoid of any concept. Painting on canvas requires mapping and planning,
which takes shape over a long period and within the framework of a specific visual
language. In contrast, drawing is peripheral, marginal, something from the fluidity
of the mind, from awareness to discovery and insight. Images that abandon themselves
without reason or purpose.
Drawings are fresh and unexpected, often lost in painting. Design sheets that remain
covered in notebooks for years and yet burst with freedom, aimlessness, and
uncontrolled things; works that will mostly remain unfinished and open.
Sometimes I feel like a stranger has guided the drawing notebooks. There is no
boundary between conscious and unconscious decisions in drawing. Here, I merge
with whatever passes on the surface of the paper.
The methods of starting a drawing vary. Sometimes a mental image, sometimes
based on a photo or paintings from past eras, or the involuntary movement of the
pen on the paper, without any preconception. In such cases, I am mindful of where
the lines will lead me and try to remain open to the events on paper. Often, I am
surprised to see that after a short while, the lines come to life, a spirit that is always
greater than me and yet always smaller than me.
Sometimes I also drawing with a specific plan and subject in mind. For example, I
place a figure from my favorite artists in art history alongside a real figure from
our time; an attempt to compress time in form. Ultimately, it doesn’t matter whether
I succeed or not, the compression of form based on the intellectual background
of these drawings gives them a fresh spirit, a saturated space where souls collide
and pass by together. Since my youth, I have had a serious interest in the madness
of Hieronymus Bosch’s works, something that still occupies my mind and I pursue
it in my paintings, a madness that, although manifested in drawings playfully, I
follow it seriously to grasp the concept of the “connection between art and life.”
Over time, the concept of the word “drawing” has changed for me, and since I
rarely find peace and satisfaction in my work, I cannot adhere to a specific style or
method. Although I struggle with each subject for a long time and with intensity,
when the initial motivation and energy fade, I embark on something new. The challenge
and courage to change are fundamental. With these, I can experiment with
my limits, abilities, and potential; more to the conceptual meaning than technical
possibilities.
Drawing has been my constant companion since my student years, and I still get
excited and thrilled by it. Drawing is familiar yet full of ambiguity and strangeness,
a good excuse for not reaching, motivation for a new adventure.