THESIS Mishael Bint Nassir Bin Khorsan Alajmi Masters in Exhibition Design
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THESIS Mishael Bint Nassir Bin Khorsan Alajmi Masters in Exhibition Design In partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of Master of Art Corcoran College of Art + Design, Washington DC, Spring 2010 "In the name of God, Most Gracious, Most Merciful" TABLE OF CONTENTS SIGNATURE PAGE i THESIS STATEMENT ii THESIS ABSTRACT iii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS iv KHATT—The Basis of Calligraphy Culture, Religion, & Philosophy 1– 6 Adaptation for life 7– 11 Tools + Materials 12– 14 Cultural Awareness 15– 18 BIBLIOGRAPHY 19 NOTES 20– 21 APPENDIX Site selection 23 Exhibit outline 24 Exhibit diagram 25 Exhibition Floorplan 26 Schematic design 27– 30 Model 31– 32 Corcoran College of Art + Design 18 May, 2010 Graduate Thesis Committee: (Signature of Student) (Print Name of Student) (Signature of Advisor) Gretchen Coss (Print Name of Advisor) (Signature of Advisor) Lorraine Schmidt (Print Name of Advisor) (Signature of Department Chair) Catherine Armour (Print Name of Department Chair) Thesis STATEMENT By exhibiting the enhanced and evolved forms of Arabic script, Khatt will illuminate new ways of perceiving other cultures. ii Thesis ABSTRACT Arabic script has textural and visual anomalies between its two defined categories, traditional and modern. The dynamic elements of its forms attract a younger audience who may not be familiar with the riches of Arabic culture. Islamic history is full of intellectual mastery and ingenuity that has brought guidance and value to our Islamic civilized society today. Through techniques that take the visitor back in time, Khatt will reveal this dialogue and introduce an insight to the ancient manuscript, the Quran, Muslims' foundation for life. This exhibition will explore the continuity of Arabic culture, how it maintains and preserves its essence in a diverse modern society. Utilizing geometry, pattern, and shapes as a basis, my exhibit will help illustrate the evolution of ideas and techniques that are inherent cultural values. Examining this art can help bring to life the nuances of Arabian culture, religion, and philosophy. It will also aid the audience as they learn more about this elevated noble art, encouraging a new cultural understanding. iii Thesis ACKNOWLEDGMENTS All praise and gratitude is due to Allah, the most gracious, merciful, and magnificent. Allah's blessings are infinite and he has bestowed upon me the strength, the fortitude, and the energy to pursue this humble academic endeavor. The prophet says: "He who does not thank people does not thank God," and it is only ﷺ Muhammad appropriate that I mention those who have significantly contributed to the completion of this thesis. First and foremost, The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has been an unwavering supporter of my entire academic career, and I will always be a proud citizen who will contribute to the expansion of the study of design and Islamic design in particular. Secondly, my family has always been my source of inspiration, support, and strength; I will forever be indebted to them. Lastly, this work would not be possible without the generous supervision of my instructors. Much appreciation is extended to Ms. Gretchen Coss and Ms. Cybelle Jones for helping with the production and design of this project. Dean John Dickson who has been most gracious with his time and instrumental in helping me overcome administrative issues. Ms. Francheska Guerrero and Dr. Casey Smith have been true role models and mentors who have left an indelible impression. Finally, My appreciation extends to Ms. Hamida Khan, my academic advisor at The Saudi Arabian Cultural Mission in Washingon, D.C. I hope that this thesis will inspire many others and be a means of communication among the masses, for I truly believe art and design bring people closer together. iv CULTURE, RELIGION, AND PHILOSOPHY The holy book all Muslims seek for guidance, relief, and illumination to their lives is the Quran, the only living manuscript from its time. Just like the Torah and Christian Gospel, the main emphasis is God, the creator of all things. The Quran is a culmination of divine messages emphasizing the mercy and oneness of God. The mind is the greatest offering from God; it enables man to think, observe, and understand right from wrong. In Islam, “There is no contradiction between faith and understanding, or reason, since the world was made subject to such rational divine laws, as the laws of nature, and can thus be perceived and imitated by the reasoning mind; the insight of reason into the world order necessarily, as it were, leads to belief."1 This belief makes man stronger to easily resist temptation and take full responsibility for all his actions on earth. After the revelation of the Quran upon the Prophet Muhammed (peace be upon Him) Islamic art was defined. The Islamic attitude towards art has two opposing features: a “Work of art is something to wonder about, to be amazed by; it belongs to the category of wondrous things that became known as the aja’ib... "wonderful” or “astonishing”, a term used constantly to praise manufactured items of all sorts.”2 The other concept is that a “ Work of art is a falsehood, a lie, because it gives you the impression of something that it is not. It can be seen, therefore, as reprehensible, and some Muslim thinkers, even in our time, continue to argue this point.”3 In Islam it is forbidden and sinful to represent life and is seen as a manifestation of Allah and form, therefore, this was applied to all religious contents of Islam. Yet other cultures and traditions depict images of life, but only in a secular context. 1 Muslims are vicegerents to God on earth, and it is their duty to protect and preserve His word as well as maintaining and preserving His earth. ‘Jannah’ in Arabic means heavenly garden and ‘ jannaat al-firdaws’ means highest garden of paradise. Depictions and creations of landscape, gardens, waterfalls were one artistic way to represent these paradises (see fig. 1 ).4 Seen throughout Muslim cultures, particularly Mosques, this visual reminder is an inspiration to do good. (see fig.2).5 The Quran had to be presented in a way that brought attention and importance of the written word. Therefore, the primitive and functional form of writing the Quran evolved into a sophisticated formal art; calligraphy, khatt, one of the highest and purist forms of visual art in the Islamic world. Through the qalam (pen) existence receives God’s order, from Him the candle of the qalam receives its light, the qalam is a cypress in the garden of knowledge, the shadow of its order is spread over dust (Qadi Ahmad). Many theories arose from the revelation of the Quran. Different forms of Islamic art culminated from the philosophy and science during Muslim civilizations. Scholars came up with two philosophical tenets about the aesthetic theory of art. The first was “atomism”, that all things living or not are made up of identical atoms. These atoms were made up of “things”, and artists may do as they wish with these forms as long as they do not rival with God. From here artists resulted in diverse creations of Islamic ornamentations with the combination of motifs to resemble nature in its true state. Mystic thoughts made up the second theory, that all forms had two meanings. The outer was easily understood by everyone and the inner meaning was only accessible to the well-informed.6 Throughout Islamic history many Muslims came up with their own mystical interpretation making it difficult to understand this art. 2 fig.1 3 fig.2 The Umayyad Mosque, Eagle Dome, Damascus. 4 All Islamic scholars provide us different theories that evolved from one another, but two famous Muslim scholars brought to us revolutionary approaches on Islamic art. Ibn Al-Haitam(965–1039) was a scientist and polymath from Basra, Iraq. He was a pioneer and was referred to as the “father of modern optics”. He developed the theory of visual perception and its visual meaning essentially creating a contemporary form we all recognize today. Ibn Khaldun was a 14th century scientist and philosopher born in North Africa; present-day Tunisia. He was conscious about the function of art and its importance throughout society. He left behind the greatest legacy to all humanity Al-Muqaddimah, translated "Prolegomenon". Written in 1377, it was an in depth view on the universal history ranging from historiography to demography. Until today is a crucial reference book to Muslims, Arabs, and foreigners.7 Today the most commonly adapted form in Islamic Art is geometry. From the 10th century onward this mathematics and proportional form was used by Muslims as an abstraction of form. Omar Khayyam, of Iranian descent, recognized 13 different forms of cubic equations. This preferred art form is used all over Islamic regions alongside calligraphy and organic forms and became the lingua franca of aesthetics and Islamic design. To make a complex shapes diagonals are drawn at 30° intervals through the center of each circle (see fig.3).8 A uniform shape evolves from this mathematical approach adding more complexity. ~ The Islamic calendar Hijra, meaning the Prophet Muhammeds' migration from Mecca to Medina was in the year AD 622. The Islamic calendar uses AH for (anno Hejira) or H. This calendar is also based on the Lunar year which comprises of twelve months. The following formula is an accurate conversion from Hijra to the Christian calendar . H x 32/33+622=C OR (C-622)x33/32=H 5 fig.3 6 ADAPTATION FOR LIFE Different languages and cultures have spread throughout the world because of war, religion, or commerce. The language of the Quran, Arabic, connected Muslims from all countries around the world.