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My deares Dr Holakouee
I’m deeply appreciative of the time you’re taking to read this letter hence I am doing my best to keep it short and down to the point.
My name is Shahin Mojtabai. I’m the owner of Shishkin Art Studio where I have been teaching oil painting with the emphasis of Realism as understood and applied in the doctrine of old Russian masters. I do also have the pleasure of working with confrères within your network of colleague and friends and furthermore consider myself an admirer of yours. Both my work and that of my gifted workmates can be seen at the following Internet address at www.shishkinartstudio.com For sometime now I have noticed your remarks in regards to music and its relationship to the human psyche. As a student of the arts, I couldn’t help but to disagree with your commentaries for I would argue that if there were something of significance to be marked in the regard of music and painting and their relationship to the human psyche, painting would most definitely take precedence over music. Aside our own very proverb in Farsi that states; “ ?شنیدن کی بود مانند دیدن” I do have my own objectives and explanations to present in hope of obtaining your outlooks and opinions in the matter as I find your expertise and knowledge on most ethics and philosophies well exceeding mine. Below I have attempted to state some one the fundamentals of painting that although I find to also exist in that of music yet I find to be unequally autonomous to that of music.
The rule of the golden line or the “golden mean”
The tittle describes a ratio with which beauty is marked and measured quit literally through the means of mathematics. It is true that the ratio of the golden mean also occurs through writing musical notes but as compared to that of pigments, colors, lines and additionally composition it is forced to take a much dimmer place than that of painting “in learning” unless a person is writing a symphony of his/her own. When in learning, a Piano student would have to simply practice a tedious copy of a tune that has already been pre-written but the job of a student in painting as
a realist surpasses that of the Piano student that is to say; the student of painting needs to allocate her/his thoughts in more than
a few subdivisions such as philosophical, technique and creativity since the student of painting is literally creating as opposed to a dry and simple copying of a prearranged tune. Hence it is safe to say that while learning to paint, as a realist many more dormant seeds begin to embellish for the mind is stimulated on more levels. This was one of a few examples where I as a painter who is also somewhat familiar with music due to some personal and close family- ties to a few music masters of our culture, can deduct that the importance of learning to paint as a realist and learning to play music as a realist are indeed unequal toward the favor of that who learns I would love to hear your opinions and thoughts in this regard as I do believe this to be just as important of a subject as any other that is talked about in your show. I would also like to suggest a program for your radio that touches not only the more superficial aspects of the arts in our community and
culture but one that also goes beyond the superficialities of art in a level that actually awakens what’s dormant within through the very scientific
comparisons of different arts, doctrines and artists. With much love and respect, Here
I see fit to also express my gratitude on a different level. For the last 20 months I have became a father to the littlenMis “ Autash Mojtabai” and I think that Autash will have a much better chance at life due to your very vivid presence in her life through all that I have learned from you. My wife and I are both in your gratitude. Thank you quit sincerely Shahin Mojtabai
HERE IS A SECOND FAX I SENT THE GOOD DR IN REGARD TO HIS FURTHER INSISTING ON THE SUBJECT IN AN OTHER SHOW.
My dearest Dr Holakouee,
I sincerely hope that this second fax would not bring an
unwanted feeling from your part, as my intentions are pure and backed by my
admiration and belief I’ve felt for you through the years. I wanted to further emphasize the point that
I now firmly believe that you’re mistaking in your position on music vs.
painting.
Both painters and musicians are realists. By saying this I of course have the classical
level in mind and not modern. The musical notes and the one of pigments are
both one of the same in every single aspect of the word. I would need to remind
you that a realist painter’s very job is to fulfill the empty pockets that Mother
Nature has left unfilled. To better
convey this point I would like to give you the definition of Realism when
utilized in the arts.
MODAAKHELYEH BASHAR DAR VAAGHEYIYYAT BE SAMTE TAKAAMOLIYEH AAN BE VASILEYEH KHAT VA RANG DAR NAGHAASHI VA KHAT VA SEDAA DAR MUSIGHI RAA REALIST MONAAMIM.
MODAAKHELYEH BASHAR DAR VAAGHEYIYYAT BE SAMTE TAKAAMOLIYEH AAN BE VASILEYEH KHAT VA RANG DAR NAGHAASHI VA KHAT VA SEDAA DAR MUSIGHI RAA REALIST MONAAMIM.
This means that in the doctrine of the realism, reality is
simply put obedient and submissive to the authority and dominance of the
artist. As a painter I am continually entangled and knotted to this very
notion. Simply put, I create what I consider to be a step above nature’s
creation all the time just the same way that a musician would.
Perhaps what you have in mind when stating that painting
does not hold a solid in that regard as seen in music is due to your
understanding of painting as a single doctrine. Yes, if you think of a painter
as one whose goal is to simply recreate nature as he/she sees it to be, in that
case you are absolutely correct. In this case we refer to such doctrine as
“naturalist.’ In naturalism the single goal is to simply recreate that which we
observe in nature to the best of our ability. It is correct to say that a
naturalist painter is passive and obedient toward reality where-as in Realism
reality is passive and obedient toward the will and mind of the artist. To
re-emphasize the topic, when spoken of a musician one also speaks of a painter,
of music and of painting for both artists are realists.
As always I would love to know your thoughts in this regard
although I have sensed that you simply don’t have the time for such one on one
argumentative and one sided swapping of notes. You will however forgive my
overly enthusiastic personality for I consider such topic to be quit important.
Your admirer,
Shahin Mojtabai
310 606-1153
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