It has been over a century and a half since photography was first introduced to Iran by the kings of the Qajar court. Nasser Ed-Din Shah was an avid photographer and staged many of the scenes he photographed. However, these were mostly taken to satiate his curiosity and not to fulfill an artistic vision. Portrait photography, documentary, photojournalism and experimental photography were all present almost from start, but fine art photography- created primarily as the expression of an artist's vision- did not appear until the 1960's when art students traveled to Europe and the United States to further their education and improve their skills. Upon their return, many artists were faced with censorship and thus chose to leave again for more artistic freedom. During the unrest of the Revolution and the eight-year war with Iraq, many photographers returned to Iran and brought with them, a vast flow of information on the field.

Considered by many to be the father of modern Iranian photography, Hadi Shafaieh's images of eyes and hands were among the first developments in Iranian art photography in the 1950's. Shafaieh made major contributions to the field. He began teaching the subject on TV in 1961 and wrote books and articles on photography. In 1981, he was invited by the ministry of sciences to design an undergraduate photography program for Iranian universities and in 1983, the subject was offered at Tehran University and University of Art for the first time.

In the 1960's, Ahmad Aali photographed the female body using artistic lighting so as reveal lines and not forms. In the 1970's, Kaveh Golestan's photomontages titled Qajar were perhaps the most original works of art photography up to that point. Also in the 1970's, Bahman Jalali exhibited a collection of his photographs capturing the element of the color red in the city of London. After the Revolution, photographic departments were established at leading universities, photographic magazines were launched, and a number of photographic institutions were founded. In the 1990's, the first museum of photography- Akskhaneh Shahr - opened. Among its founding members was Bahman Jalali.

In 1994 the First International Photo Biennale was held at the Tehran Museum of Contemporary Art. In the same decade and with the election of President Khatami, a period of social openness ensued: many young artists could finally show their work to the public. The number of galleries increased drastically and there was one solely dedicated to exhibiting photography. If artists had until then concentrated on the subject­ matter of their work, they could now also consider the manner in which they could express and present their work as fine works of art.

This exhibition showcases the work of seven contemporary Iranian artists from three generations. And although their works unquestionably fit into the category of fine art photography, they all use this genre in their creations to capture the reality of their experiences and reveal undeniable truths about the society in which they live.

In his image of Imagination series, Bahman Jalali combines turn of the century portrait photographs with various elements such as text, dried flowers and other photographs, making possible a world in which opposing realities of past and present social circumstances can challenge each other.

Mehran Mohajer's Camera Rosea continues to delve into his preoccupation with the confrontation of photography and other media.Capturing other documented images such as well-known celebrities, other photographs and artwork- his own and other artists'- with a large red camera, Mohajer focuses on the photographic representation of society and its relationship with art.

Sadegh Tirafkan presents the issue of mass gatherings in Multitude. Combining photos of crowds and historical, artistic and religious motifs, Tirafkan creates a painterly image of an increasing population's cultural and political demands of their society and government. The same crowds, who join in religious mourning practices, come together to cheer at sporting events or to hold demonstrations.

Dadbeh Bassir's work is always autobiographical; he is both the creator and subject-matter and shifts continuously between the two positions. Images are created of many different layers and moments of reality, yet conceal many of the realities around us. Elements such as a crumpled piece of paper, a found key, handles of a clock and dead animals portrayed in both Metamorphosis and Remembrance, resemble clues to the secret and mysterious public and private lives led in Iran.

Closed Doors, Sleeping Eyes is a series by Mohammad Ghazali composed of the images of window displays captured late at night long after the living have abandoned their public lives. Unable to stand in any one place in a gathering of more than two individuals without being questioned, the living relinquishes this right to these still-tiles which they themselves have arranged. They gather at night, whisper their daily experiences in peace and without being disturbed and make possible the sound of hearing an image.

In Abu Ghraib or How to Engage in Dialogue, Arash Hanaei uses dolls and toys - not in the least bit to soften the blow, for these images are just as disturbing as the originals broadcast on the world media - to toy with the ever-present threat of war and imposed foreign policies as the main factors influencing the internal state of oil and gas-rich countries in the region.

Babak Kazemi, a native of the southern war-torn Khuzestan province, uses residential street numbers torn down from houses in Khorramshahr as backdrops to superimposed images of the eight-year war with neighboring Iraq. The series aptly titled Khorramshahr Number by Number captures the destruction of war just as clearly as any photojournalistic work and records in numbers, the losses incurred by all warring nations.

"Revealing Truths" presents examples of fine art photography from a region enshrouded by its complexities and deeply challenged by its realities. The artists presented all use this medium and genre to capture and reveal the truths of their society.

Simin Dehghani

Assar Art Gallery