Hair : Dariush Nehdaran : Tehran

24x16", silver gelatin print

The Life of Rope

There's a fine line between reality and dream. When you think you have found the line, you might be dreaming again. My rope is that line.

Artist Bio:

Dariush Nehdaran born in Isfahan, Iran in 1984 is a contemporary visual artist who fearlessly defies the rules in order to bring multiple and complex meanings to his work. Through rhythmic juxtaposed images containing a variety of perspectives, he constructs a world between dream and reality and plays with clarity and depth to suggest an alternative way of seeing things.

Throughout his childhood, Dariush suffered from poor eyesight, but chose not to wear glasses to avoid the stigma of getting bullied. During that time, he experienced and viewed the world in a blurry and ambiguous way. When he became a teenager, the use of his grandfather's camera enabled him to see the world clearly for the first time in his life. The fact that he saw the world blurry though his own eyes and clear through the lens of the camera and the printed images has driven him to explore the subject of amphibology as the main topic in his work. By doing so, he has created a unique style that demands his viewers’ attention and focus as part of the resolution in his work.

Nehdaran currently lives in San Francisco but has expanded his art internationally. His photographs and video works are available both in public and private collections worldwide including the Armando Reverón Contemporary Art Museum in Caracas-Venezuela 2018, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) in the US 2016, and the Salsali Private Museum in Dubai-UAE 2012.

Dariush is the recipient of multiple awards including the Nikon International Photo Contest in Japan 2015, the Hamghadam Photo Festival in France 2010, and the 7th Image of the Year Festival in Tehran 2010.

Artist Statement:

There is never a dull moment. I often surprise myself with what I say and what I do! This is what I enjoy most and try to create the same experience for others. Through photography and videos I direct an improvised story as it is happening. I record it with a manipulated frame and, in a way, add more spice and complication to it. This way when the audience looks at that moment, they see various meanings.

For me, following the rules is an anathema. I'd like to delve into reality, discover and expose it, to create an individual and alternate interpretation. I believe you can always find something new in your routine daily life. My photographs can reveal something new to me every day; and by using paradox I try to add to its mystery and create a dream world to escape rules. I think you can see an upside down image that would still make sense to you. I believe everyone can have their own rules.