Out of Exhaustion

A Conversation Between Shahrzad Changalvaee and Mahmoud Bakhshi.

Mahmoud Bakhshi has been making art for more than twenty years.

His work questions the making -the why and how of its progress and even its extension through the viewer’s gaze. For him, art-making is a daily endeavor that can become boring and even tiresome at times, but inevitably, the job has to be done. Despite the fact that his work seems pre-planned and blunt, it always endures doubt and change in the process of making. In my opinion, however, he is not considered a progressive artist. In the world of his art, viewing, seeing, and gazing are ever-present. He constantly puts himself in the place of the viewer and viewed, and further investigates the concept of “absence” as a form of viewing. He considers the omniscient witness of history present in his practice even though his work is more often focused on local events and phenomena.

Bakshi’s narratives often refer to a collective memory or experience. He usually employs a symbol, a word, a sign, a logo, or a concept, and leads the viewer to narratives constructed by societal norms or the dominant power.

Book Specification:

Dual-language

Format: Hardcover

Size: 23.4 x 16.7 cm

Extent: 135 pp

Published in: 2017