Reza Aramesh (Iranian, b. 1970)

Reza Aramesh's present work is a dramatic black and white mise-en-scène of male figures in an opulent aristocratic interior. The theatrical composition is reminiscent of the contemporary war and conflict photographs widely spread in the mass media and hints simultaneously at Renaissance art and classical iconography.
Action 42. Fatah Loyalists at the Erez Crossing in northern Gaza flee the Hamas-run territory for the West Bank. June 2007 is clearly inspired by the contemporary conflict in the Middle East. The photograph bears as its title the standardized caption of the photographic source but rather than a mere replication of the scenery, the present work disturbs the viewer as the figures are purposely motionless in exaggerated and over-dramatized poses.
Reza Aramesh deploys his own view on recent history through poetic yet political compositions which draw out links between wealth, power, violence and conflict in a contrasted yet striking imagery.