Transcending the metanarrative: the postmodern spirituality of Shirazeh Houshiary's sculpture

Through her mystically infused, minimalistic sculptures, Iranian-­born, London-­based artist Shirazeh Houshiary (1955-­ ) has continued the trend of abstract spiritually in contemporary art. However, the theology that she represents is a mixture of her own creation, taking inspiration from Sufism, which welcomes the beliefs of many religious traditions. This combination of spiritual disciplines is influenced by the dawn of the postmodern era, and what philosopher Jean-­ François Lyotard theorized as the collapse of the "metanarrative". Transcending the Metanarrative: The Postmodern Spirituality of Shirazeh Houshiary's Sculpture will discuss how Shirazeh Houshiary portrays a hybrid spirituality in her sculptures, which in turn exemplifies Jean-François Lyotard's theory of the postmodern disintegration of the religious metanarrative. This exhibition attempts to show how Shirazeh Houshiary's fusion of spiritual narratives is more accessible to the postmodern public, and ultimately creates a more universal experience of the divine.

Name thesis:degree_name

MA (Master of Arts)

Level thesis:degree_level

Masters

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Art and Art History (UMKC)

Grantor

University of Missouri--Kansas City

Year dc:date.issued

2012

Author dc:creator

• Chalfant, Aubony R.

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• Connelly, Frances S.

Statement dc:rights

• Open Access (fully available)

Language dc:language.iso

eng, English

Handle dc:identifier.uri

http://hdl.handle.net/10355/14410

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:mospace.umsystem.edu:10355/14410