Graduate Studies

Interdisciplinary Master's in Art, Media and Design (MA, MDes and MFA)

Shahrzad Amin

Circle Bridge

Symbolism in arches: The bridge is made from arches. It suggests a transformation from one ‘place’ to another. The materials used, which are transparent and reflective, try to show that the passing of time is fluid, suggests steps through time, and into future times, ongoing, continuing, evolving. The iconic symbols on the surfaces of the arches progress from the start point, an empty arch, and grows from a simple organic leaf shape at the beginning to an ornamented paisley symbol in the last arch, through the progression, to the blank arch at the beginning again, suggesting cyclical, returning, and repeating.I approach the blank arch as an open canvas, at the beginning again, suggesting the arched bridge as a connection from past to present and projected in a cycle, into the future.Symbolism in paisleyStarting in Cypress the symbol is iconic. It evolved from a representation of natural form to an ornamental pattern. History of paisley: used paisley as a language to show a pattern that comes from east to west. Originating in eastern countries in the 15th century and developed into an upright spray of flowers around 16-18th century – 18th century the symbol traveled to Britain via East India Company and then to Scotland in the 19th century, when it began being printed rather than woven, affording its use in a wider world of pattern, reaching mass markets in later 19th c. Paisley is seen in fashion, tattoos, wedding fabrics, even men’s clothing, garments, henna design, cake decoration, and numerous other instances. It is a kind of biophilic pattern coming from the cypress tree, evolved with time to become an important part of interior design and in architecture. It derives from nature and change and thus, resonating for people everywhere. Materiality: The mirror shows a reflection of the whole story or progression. It connotes awareness or wisdom and demonstrates the bindery relationship between the self and the world. Mirrors reflect the truth in historical medieval architecture and, used in Eastern Islamic culture, it represents the idea of ‘virtual’, not of the world, but beyond, not physical and present, but once removed.

“For creating my work “Circle Bridge” I aimed to visualize the evolution of paisley and how this eastern pattern is changed through time from the simple organic leaf shape at the beginning to an ornamented paisley symbol to suggest cyclical, returning, repeating steps through time and into future times, ongoing and continuing. I used the mirror as a base for my sculptural shapes to show the reflection of the whole story or progression. The reflection of arches in the mirror repeats the half-sphere arrangement to create the image of a globe. It connotes awareness or wisdom and demonstrates the bindery relationship between the self and the world. Mirrors reflect the truth in historical medieval architecture and, used in Eastern Islamic culture, it represents the idea of ‘virtual’, not of the world, but beyond, not physical and present, but once removed.”