Zenith and Nadir
The Third Line is proud to present Laleh Khorramian in her second solo exhibition at the gallery, Zenith and Nadir, an exhibition combining the spectacle of unfolding human tragi-comedies in picturesque, abstracted and deeply spatial settings of which she has become a master. The title refers to the point of the heavens immediately over the head of the spectator (Zenith) and the opposite point, immediately beneath the spectator's feet (Nadir).
I Without End (6.20 min) is a time-lapse animation featured in this exhibition, which captures a couple living their lives in the dwelling created by Khorramian - a familiar scene although in this case, the couple are carved from orange peel.
Slightly comical and oddly intent, the lovers rhythmically move together through the motions of life in Khorramian’s ‘Huis Close.’ The animation is emotionally charged, powerful and beautifully narrated, however the viewer cannot disconnect from the absurdity of the orange peel as a human metaphor.
As the viewer gets a sense of time passing, the orange peels begin to contort, twisting and tangling into crumbled bodies and their movement subsides, depicting life, death, love, loneliness, sorrow, creation and regeneration.
Still from I Without End, (6’ 20 ”).
I Without End was originally inspired by a Louise Bourgeois anecdote about her father peeling an orange in the shape of a figure. This piece is the third of five animations which combine the mediums of drawing, painting and cinema. Each of the animations being constructed around a essential element - earth, air, water, space, I Without End being inspired by fire.
In other works on paper, taking reference from Italian Renaissance paintings and theatre, Khorramian’s mono-prints and drawings in oil, crayon, collage, pen and ink are ‘micro views’ and feel as though they are never too far removed from her animations. In these works, microscopic, remote landscapes roll behind fragmented figures with floating narratives. These narratives are based on historic events, ancient myths and biblical themes, often following the journey of a female protagonist.
‘As much as the work is a fiction, it plants itself firmly into the physical realm of the human life and grounds them in specific events,’ says Khorramian. ‘All the same, these scenarios are subverted and de-familiarised through technical interventions (erasing, erasing, redrawing) in order to uncover a deeper level of human experience – to ponder the slippery bounds between experience and the imagined, the real and the ethereal,’ she said.
About Laleh Khorramian
Laleh Khorramian was born in Tehran, Iran. She studied painting at the Rhode Island School of Design. Following this she completed a Bachelor of Fine Art at The School of the Art Institute of Chicago. In 2004 she completed her MFA at Columbia University, NY.
Zenith and Nadir is Khorramian’s fourth solo exhibition. She has exhibited extensively internationally, including exhibitions in America, as well as Belgium, Cuba and Lebanon. She has been the recipient of numerous awards and scholarships including the Agnes Martin Award and Evolving Perceptions Scholarship and the Francis Hook Scholarships.
About The Third Line
The Third Line is an art gallery representing contemporary Middle Eastern artists in Dubai, creating paths that ultimately lead to a dialogue between the artists and the public. In May 2008, The Third Line opens a gallery in Doha, to expand the representation of art in the region.
Along with traditional gallery offerings, The Third Line organises non-profit, alternative programs including Kutub, a bi-lingual Arab literature appreciation circle and a Documentary & Arab Feature Film Series; and, along with 4 other creative groups The Third Line co-organizes Pecha Kucha Dubai, an international multimedia forum for creatives and designers.
Represented artists include: Abbas Akhavan, Ala Ebtekar, Amir H Fallah, Amna Al Zaabi, Arwa Abouon, Ebtisam Abdul Aziz, Farhad Moshiri, Fouad Elkoury, Ghadah Al Kandari, Golnaz Fathi, Hassan Hajjaj, Hayv Kahraman, Huda Lutfi, Lamya Gargash, Laleh Khorramian, Marwan Sahmarani, Mona Marzouk, Monir Shahroudy Farmanfarmaian, Neda Hadizadeh, Pouran Jinchi, Raghda Bukhash, Rana Begum, Remi Arora, Shezad Dawood, Shirin Aliabadi, Susan Hefuna, Tarek Al Ghoussein and Youssef Nabil.
