UNTITLED by Shahrzad Darafsheh

2018
From the series Entropy
Archival pigment print
13.33 × 20 in
Edition of 1
Framed

“[I use photography to] see the world as it appears, dealing with its complexities and experiencing our never-ending evolution. Therefore what fascinates me the most is the nature of things, and how everything relates to each other.”

—Shahrzad Darafsheh, from her feature in FotoRoom

In the series Entropy, Shahrzad Darafsheh intertwines art with the complex theories of physics. This project goes beyond the lens, challenging perceptions of time and existence through the ancient symbol of stone. 

In her words:

“When we speak of time, what exactly do we mean?
to find answers, I referenced the various theories in physics and chose stone as the symbol
of time. I chose stone for it is the result of different layers of time.
Rocks have been exposed to the powerful forces which shaped our planet; hence they all carry some part of earth's history.
I began my study with Einstein’s relativity theories, reached quantum physics and hooked-off
in space.
however, throughout the research process, not only did the meaning of time not reveal itself but
it moved further away to the unknown and in this way, it resembled art; without certainty.
The abstraction which one expects from art, one finds throughout the theory of quantum physics.
My aim has been to capture that abstraction and ambiguity with regards to time in this series and combine my own experiencing of time with my research.
the use of reflection in this series has been with the intention of presenting the duality of objects.
Based on the Wave-Particle Duality of Quantum, matter can exhibit the behavior of both waves and particles; just as light is both wave and particle.
Despite the fact that physics illuminated some layers of reality of time for me, this subject is still unknown.”

Shahrzad Darafsheh (born 1982 in Tehran, Iran) is a visual artist whose practice concerns environmental and psychological entanglements. She is widely engaged with the ambiguity of human knowledge about its footprint on surroundings. Her focus lies on long-term projects that address personal and social issues, and identity recurs as a  theme in her work while she seeks to uncover the essence of who we are. The ethereal quality of Darafsheh's work imbues her photographs with a sense of wonder and curiosity, serving as poetic expressions of her world.

Darafsheh received her BA in Photography from Azad University of Tehran in 2007 and a Diploma of Film Editing from Tehran Institute of Technology (MFT) in 2011. Her work has been published in books such as Saffron Tales by Yasmin Khan (Bloomsbury Publishing, 2016) and Analysing While Waiting (For Time To Pass): Contemporary Art in Tehran (Triebsand, 2007). Her project Half-Light was published as a photobook by Gnomic Book in 2008.

Archival pigment prints use refined pigment particles to create exquisite, high-resolution artwork. This printing method creates museum-quality artwork designed to last; ink and paper are critical elements in an archival pigment print’s life span.