DR HOLAKOUEE'S ABSOLUTE WRONG STATEMENTS IN REGARDS TO MUSIC VS. PAINTING

-->

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.

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

www.shishkinartstudio.com

310 606-1153