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Shakir Hassan Al Said
Untitled, 1992Mixed media on wood80 x 126 cm
31 1/2 x 49 5/8 inCopyright The ArtistSoldBy the 1990s, Al Saʿid would actually breach the surface of the panel, burning the perimeter of the breach, as we can see in The Subject, Burning no. 1 [SH13]...By the 1990s, Al Saʿid would actually breach the surface of the panel, burning the perimeter of the breach, as we can see in The Subject, Burning no. 1 [SH13] and Untitled [SHS3]. In these works, the burned edge of the wood not only stages the phenomenon of the one-dimension, of the paradoxical appearance of line in the two-dimensional space of form that discloses the pri-mordial time of Being; it also creates an empty space within the work itself. This space funda-mentally alters the structure of the work creating centers of attention or centers of gravity in rela-tion to which the rest of the painting is oriented as a ‘surrounding’ (muḥīṭ).
In The Subject, Burning no. 1, a dense profusion of elements is concentrated around the two breaches, as if they are marks left by the same force that punctured the board. In multiple places, the top layer of the wood has been removed, revealing the fibers beneath. This palpable sense of damage exemplifies a technique of painting that operates by subtraction and that Al Saʿid would theorize as ‘erosion’ (taʿriyya).
Erosion names a method of absenting the artist from the artwork. The desire to bracket out the artist had been a fundamental part of the forms of abstraction that Al Saʿid had encoun-tered in Paris; it lied behind the way that Jean Fautrier and Jean DuBuffet manipulated material on canvas or paper, and that Al Saʿid found so compelling. During the 1960s, Al Saʿid re-conceptualized that method as a negation of the self that enabled the presence of the external world in the artwork. Now, however, the kind of negation of the self achieved by erosion was directed toward reinforcing the thing-ness of the artwork.
The technique of erosion is evident in the areas of Letters in Space where the gray swirl is blurred, in the smears that appear in this work and others, and in the erasure of letters: wherever it seems that something has been striked or blotted out. It is perhaps best exemplified in the wa-tercolor, Untitled [SH16], where a streak of black paint runs down the paper; it is not clear whether the black hides something or if it is the dissolution of something that is no longer availa-ble for us to see.
Saleem Bahloly 2020
Provenance
Bought in 17.03.2021 By Dr Farjam.
Private collection, Dubai/London via Meem Gallery in 2013 From Dr Fadhil Chalabi
Bought directly from the artist by Dr Fadhil Chalabi in Amman in 1993. Works kept in Dr Fadhil Chalabi home in Vienna, Austria from 1993 to 2013
1992 Produced by the artist in Doha at the Qatar Art Center. https://www.qatarartcenter.org
Fadhil Jafar al-Chalabi (1929–2019[1]) was an Iraqi economist, and was Acting Secretary General of OPEC from 1983 to 1988.
Dr. Fadhil J. Chalabi (1929–2019), the former Secretary General of OPEC, amassed an extensive and highly significant collection of Modern Iraqi art that served as his primary cultural link to his homeland during decades of exile. The collection is comprised solely of works by Iraqi artists and has been featured in major international auctions.
Collection Highlights & Artists
The collection offers a comprehensive look at the evolution of Modern Iraqi art, featuring seminal works from the country's most prominent figures. Notable artists represented in his holdings include: Christie's Shakir Hassan Al Said: A pioneer of the "One Dimension" movement. Pieces from Chalabi’s collection, such as Untitled (Jidar), have appeared at Bonhams, often with provenance indicating they were acquired directly from the artist. Naziha Selim: A central figure in the Iraqi art scene whose works were part of the 12 pieces Christie's offered from the Chalabi collection to showcase the strength of Iraqi Modernism. Kadhim Haider: Known for his "Martyr" series and theatrical elements, his works like And a Horse is Selling (1965) and A View of Palm Trees in Taarimiyah Baghdad were highlights of the Chalabi holdings. Hafidh Al-Droubi: An influential Cubist-influenced painter and founder of the "Impressionists" group in Iraq.
Legacy and Impact:
Architectural Inspiration: Chalabi’s passion for his collection directly influenced his sons, Talik and Jaafar, to pursue careers in architecture.
Cultural Advocacy: Beyond mere acquisition, Dr. Chalabi was known for his continuous support of the Iraqi art scene, using his collection to "impassion other aspiring artists" and preserve Iraqi cultural identity abroad.
Market Significance: Works from his collection are considered "enchanting and seminal," providing a "broader vision into the artistic evolution" of Iraq.Born in 1929 in Baghdad to Jafar Mohamad al-Chalabi and Fatima née al -Uzri, Chalabi studied law at Baghdad University and graduated in 1951 before gaining a PhD in economics from the University of Paris. In 1968 he was appointed director of oil affairs in the Iraqi Ministry of Oil, and in 1973 became Iraq's permanent undersecretary of oil. In 1975 he was one of the hostages taken by Carlos the Jackal at the OPEC-Conference in Vienna ( see OPEC siege). He was assistant secretary general to the Organization of Arab Petroleum Exporting Countries in Kuwait from 1976 to 1978. From 1978 to 1988 he was deputy secretary general of OPEC, serving as acting secretary general from 1983 to 1988.
In 1987 he became Executive Director of the Centre for Global Energy Studies, a London-based think-tank founded and chaired by Ahmed Zaki Yamani. He retired in 2011.
Chalabi was interviewed in the 2006 documentary A Crude Awakening: The Oil Crash. He received the British Institute of Energy Economics Award for Distinction in 1988.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fadhil_Chalabi
https://intellectdiscover.com/content/journals/10.1386/jciaw_00003_7
https://www.opec.org/pn-detail/104-2-dec-2019.html
Exhibitions
Shakir Hassan Al Said: Solo Exhibition, Meem Gallery, 2020Literature
A Natural History of the Artwork (2020) Saleem Bahloly. Excerpt where the work Untitled 1992
SHS3 (Meem Code)By the 1990s, Al Saʿid would actually breach the surface of the panel, burning the perimeter of the breach, as we can see in The Subject, Burning no. 1 [SH13] and Untitled [SHS3]. In these works, the burned edge of the wood not only stages the phenomenon of the one-dimension, of the paradoxical appearance of line in the two-dimensional space of form that discloses the primordial time of Being; it also creates an empty space within the work itself. This space fundamentally alters the structure of the work creating centers of attention or centers of gravity in relation to which the rest of the painting is oriented as a ‘surrounding’ (muḥīṭ).
In The Subject, Burning no. 1, a dense profusion of elements is concentrated around the two breaches, as if they are marks left by the same force that punctured the board. In multiple places, the top layer of the wood has been removed, revealing the fibers beneath. This palpable sense of damage exemplifies a technique of painting that operates by subtraction and that Al Saʿid would theorize as ‘erosion’ (taʿriyya).
Erosion names a method of absenting the artist from the artwork. The desire to bracket out the artist had been a fundamental part of the forms of abstraction that Al Saʿid had encountered in Paris; it lied behind the way that Jean Fautrier and Jean DuBuffet manipulated material on canvas or paper, and that Al Saʿid found so compelling. During the 1960s, Al Saʿid re-conceptualized that method as a negation of the self that enabled the presence of the external world in the artwork. Now, however, the kind of negation of the self achieved by erosion was directed toward reinforcing the thing-ness of the artwork.
Publications
Makou Jounal 2022. Shakir Hassan Al Said Edition.
Published on page 84.
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