Equestrian Semiosis: Unpacking the Parodic Layers of Bahman Mohassess’s Painting and Theater

This article reexamines the 1960s work of Iranian painter and stage director Bahman Mohassess (1931–2010) through the lens of parody, highlighting his nuanced critique of both Western cultural dominance and Iranian political realities. A close analysis of Mohassess’ 1965 Untitled painting, against the backdrop of his 1967 Tehran staging of Luigi Pirandello’s Henry IV, reveals his subversive appropriation of the equestrian motif—a loaded symbol in post-1953 coup Iran, where Reza Shah’s mounted statue had become a flashpoint of unrest. Drawing on Linda Hutcheon’s theory of parody and Mikhail Bakhtin’s concept of dialogism, this study argues that Mohassess’ work, specifically Untitled, transforms borrowed Western forms into multi-layered critiques, responding simultaneously to societal tensions and art historical discourse. By elucidating the multivalent meanings embedded in Mohassess’ work, this analysis contributes to broader discussions of global modernism and underscores parody’s role as a potent form of artistic critique in the postwar period.

ARTMargins, Volume 14, Issue 1, pp. 98-115.

doi:10.1162/artm_a_00402

https://direct.mit.edu/artm/article/14/1/98/130985/Equestrian-Semiosis-Unpacking-the-Parodic-Layers

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