سادگی در بافت: پارچه های مینیمالیستی ایران در تطبیق با مینیمالیسم غربی
آرشیو
چکیده
بیان مسئله : با این وجود، در میان پارچه های سنتی ایرانی، نمونه هایی با ویژگی های مینیمالیستی وجود دارد که سادگی در طراحی و عدم پیچیدگی در نقوش را نمایان می سازند. شناسایی این پارچه ها اثبات وجود طرح های مینیمال در پارچه بافی ایرانی پیش از ظهور هنر مینیمال در جهان مسئله تحقیق است. سؤالات پژوهش : در این پژوهش سؤالات زیر مطرح گریده اند: کدام یک از پارچه های سنتی ایرانی ویژگی های مینیمالیستی را دارند؟ چه ویژگی های طراحی و ظاهری در برخی پارچه های ایرانی وجود دارد که آن ها را در زمره پارچه های مینیمالیستی قرار می دهد؟ چه شباهت هایی در عناصر فرم و طراحی میان پارچه های سنتی ایرانی و نقاشی های مینیمالیستی وجود دارد؟ اهداف پژوهش : این پژوهش با هدف شناسایی و معرفی پارچه های سنتی ایرانی دارای ویژگی های مینیمالیستی، به بررسی نمونه هایی همچون کرباس بافی، برک، ارمک، شمد، فرت و تون بافی می پردازد که به عنوان دستباف های مینیمالیستی شناسایی شده اند. در ادامه، این پارچه ها با آثار نقاشی هنرمندان پیشگام مینیمالیسم غربی مقایسه می شوند تا وجود طراحی های مینیمالیستی در پارچه بافی سنتی ایرانی پیش از ظهور جهانی هنر مینیمالیسم و به کارگیری آن در طراحی لباس های مدرن را اثبات کنند. روش پژوهش: این پژوهش به صورت کتابخانه ای و با استفاده از منابع معتبر انجام شده و داده ها به صورت کیفی گردآوری و تحلیل شده اند. روش تحقیق توصیفی و تطبیقی است که به بررسی و تحلیل ابعاد مختلف موضوع می پردازد و هدف آن ارتقای درک علمی در حوزه طراحی پارچه و مینیمالیسم است. نتیجه گیری: نتایج این تحقیق نشان می دهند آنچه هنرمندان مینیمالیست به عنوان یک جنبش مدرن مطرح کردند، در سنت های بصری و هنری ایران، به ویژه در تولید منسوجات، به صورت ارگانیک و بر اساس نیازهای زیباشناختی و کارکردی، از قرن ها پیش وجود داشته است. در واقع میان آثار مینیمالیستی غربی و آثار هنرمندان پارچه باف ایرانی شباهت هایی فرمی وجود دارد.Simplicity in Weaving: Minimalist Iranian Fabrics in Comparison with Western Minimalism
Simplicity in Weaving: Iranian Minimalist Textiles in Comparison with Western Minimalism
Somayeh Irani, PhD student in Art Research, Faculty of Arts, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran.
Ali Asghar Fahimiar, Associate Professor, Department of Research in Art History, Faculty of Arts, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran.
Problem Statement
Historical research in the field of Iranian traditional arts after the advent of Islam indicates that this art has consistently exhibited considerable diversity, richness, and complexity in its patterns and designs. Generally, it does not fall under the category of minimalist arts. In fact, authentic Iranian textiles are renowned for their intricate and decorative motifs, encompassing a broad range of human, animal, vegetal, and geometric patterns. These motifs have been crafted using various design elements such as boteh jegheh (paisley), toranj (medallion), lachak (corner motifs), and various types of Eslimi (arabesque) and Khatai patterns, often embodying profound symbolic, philosophical, and cultural meanings.
Weaving in Iran has historically been regarded not only as a practical art for producing consumer goods but also as a significant platform for the expression of individual and collective creativity among artists and artisans. A distinguishing feature of Iranian textile art lies in the remarkable diversity observed in the production of various fabrics, weaving techniques, and finishing processes (Yavari, 2016: 108). Historical evidence from the Sassanian to the Safavid periods underscores the intimate relationship between Iranian textile art and elaborate ornamentation, rich color diversity, and complex formal compositions.
However, amidst this wide array of works, Iranian minimalist textiles have received relatively little scholarly attention. Despite their apparent simplicity, these textiles embody unique artistic and aesthetic values, reflecting the refined artistic taste, aesthetic sensibility, and cultural outlook of Iranian craftsmen. By emphasizing simplicity in form, limited use of colors, and the deliberate omission of unnecessary ornamentation, these textiles create compositions that highlight clarity, structural order, and precision in design.
From the perspective of art and design theory, minimalism in Iranian art—although rarely documented—correlates strongly with modern aesthetic principles such as economy of expression, formal purity, and a focus on the essence of artistic elements. These textiles are not only historically significant but also have the potential to engage in dialogue with contemporary global styles, inspiring modern designers in fashion, interior decoration, and textile design. Recognizing and analyzing this lesser-known aspect of Iranian weaving art could open new horizons in the study of Islamic art and the history of design.
Research Objective
This study aims to identify and introduce traditional Iranian textiles that exhibit minimalist characteristics. It examines samples such as Karbas-bafi (coarse cotton weaving), Bark (woolen fabric), Ermak , Shamad , Fart , and Tun-bafi —which have been recognized as examples of minimalist handwoven textiles. Furthermore, it compares these traditional textiles with the paintings of pioneering Western minimalist artists to demonstrate that minimalist design principles existed in Iranian traditional weaving practices long before the global emergence of the minimalist art movement, and to explore their application in the design of contemporary fashion.
Research Questions
This study seeks to answer the following questions:
Which traditional Iranian textiles possess minimalist characteristics?
What design and visual features in certain Iranian textiles qualify them as minimalist fabrics?
What similarities exist between the formal elements and design structures of traditional Iranian textiles and minimalist paintings?
Research Methodology
This research adopts a descriptive-comparative approach, employing qualitative research methods to examine minimalist features in traditional Iranian textiles and compare them to Western minimalist art. The study is based on extensive library research and qualitative data analysis, focusing on the identification and investigation of handwoven Iranian textiles with minimalist traits.
Data collection was conducted through the review of books, scientific articles, dissertations, art catalogues, and credible online resources related to handicrafts, traditional textiles, and minimalism. Additionally, visual examples, including images of traditional Iranian fabrics and works by Western minimalist artists, were studied to enable a comparative analysis.
The collected data were analyzed through qualitative content analysis. First, the visual and structural features of selected fabrics—including form, color, pattern, and weaving technique—were thoroughly described. Subsequently, these features were compared with the aesthetic principles of minimalism and the works of minimalist artists. Comparative analysis methods were utilized to better understand the similarities and differences between the two artistic expressions, and the results were presented through interpretive analysis and tabular comparisons.
This research methodology provides a useful framework for future scholars conducting similar studies and offers opportunities for expanding the field by incorporating new data. Furthermore, the findings of this study could be relevant to areas such as fashion design, visual arts, and intercultural studies, supporting a deeper understanding of cross-cultural aesthetic continuities.
Conclusion
The comparative analysis between traditional Iranian handwoven textiles and minimalist paintings reveals that fundamental characteristics of minimalism—such as simplicity, repetition, the use of geometric forms, and the avoidance of excessive ornamentation—were present in Iranian weaving arts centuries before the formal emergence of the minimalist movement in the twentieth century.
Textiles such as Bark , Sofreh Yazdi (Yazdi tablecloth), Tun-bafi , Kar-bafi (manual weaving), and Chador-shab Yazdi (Yazdi night veils) demonstrate significant similarities in design, structure, and color composition to the works of artists such as Agnes Martin, Carl Andre, Donald Judd, Frank Stella, and Sol LeWitt. These resemblances suggest that minimalist concepts are deeply rooted not only in modern painting and sculpture but also in traditional Iranian handicrafts and textile arts.
What Western minimalist artists introduced as a modern artistic movement had, in fact, existed organically in Iran’s visual and artistic traditions—particularly in textile production—developed out of aesthetic sensibilities and functional needs over centuries. Although there are formal similarities between Western minimalist works and Iranian traditional textiles, there are fundamental differences in the cultural understanding and production contexts of these works. These differences may stem from distinct historical, social, and cultural backgrounds that influenced the creative processes and artistic outputs in each civilization.
Thus, the findings not only highlight the pioneering nature of Iranian art in the realm of simplification and reduction of superfluous elements but also emphasize the continuity and universality of aesthetic principles across different cultures, transcending geographical and historical boundaries.
Keywords: Textile, Traditional Weaving, Minimalist Textile, Minimalism
تبلیغات
