Parastoo Mahmoudi
Frantic Expressions
Installation
2022
Charcoal, marker, pencil, silverpoint on drywall
8 feet x 4 feet
Immediate gestural mark-makingbreakthroughs and spoiling of the drywall represent memories of violence and invadinghomes by war. Multi-layered work signifies layers of history and past moments of life. When thethe moment is gone; the moment's memory is the only thing that stays forever, constantly reformingand replaceable.The subtle writings on "Frantic Expressions" relate to my broken marriage. Texts arewritten with a wedding ring as a drawing tool. As in traditional metal point drawings, the frictionof the gold against the surface produces a line. These drawings and resulting marks areexpressions of anger. Because I was expressing anger, I repeated and dragged the ring across thesurface, which had the unexpected result of causing physical pain as it heated the metal to thepoint where it burned my fingers as I drew.
“Frantic Expressions, the drywall piece, expresses complicated, fragmented memories anda desire to communicate deep emotions and give voice to this ruptured history. Wall createsprivacy, safe space and home. The complex political and social environment created an unsafesituation in my living and future; it caused me and my family to escape from home to save ourlives during the war. Later, the desire to live a normal life was directed to immigration. Humansare born and live to enjoy, love, absorb creation, and learn how to control and navigate theirlives. These innate luxuries were never part of my formative experience and have thus framedthe way I live and create.”
