Perfection in Blue and Orange

 

Mojan Mozaffari is an Iranian-American artist living in California. She has been collaborating with Mehri Publications and Siesta Art Center since 2017. After the performance, ‘Holy Presence,’ in October 2019 in London, England, she presented another project to Mehri Publications and Siesta Art Center. This was ‘Perfection in Blue and Orange’, a religious-artistic project which made use of painting, print and installation, performed in the La Purisma Catholic Church in the city of Orange, California, in cooperation with people of American, Vietnamese and Mexican origin, on January 7, 2020. 

The process of performance used the assistance of women, men and children who had no academic instruction in art, other than two weeks of workshop activity in two parts, inside the church, and outside in the front yard of the church. 

Interior section: A large painting of about ten feet in length and six feet in width ( 3.48 meters by 1.80 meters) made by thirty women and children using mixed media techniques. The important element in creation of this work of art was creativity and its improvisational nature. Upon completion, the painting was hung in the church apse.  

The exterior installation included four separate arrangements of fabrics, medallions, candles, and flowers, which took shape in communication of the meaning of the final work on basis of fundamental cultural values in from memory.

Use of repetition of forms in the exterior space was an important point that the artist had taken advantage of for effect and expression.

Fabrics: Two pieces of purple colored fabrics, 14 feet in length and 90 centimeters in width, plus six other pieces of fabrics in blue and orange, 9 feet length, were prepared. People used the techniques and procedures of printing to create designs on the fabrics. Once colors dried, they were installed lengthwise in the church’s courtyard. 

Medallions: The initial designs of the medallions were by Dr. Fatemeh Takhtkeshian, of which 450 were printed in the U.S. in various sizes, then laminated by three volunteers, Agnes, Lydia and Rudy, and given to people. Each medallion returned contained a message, a prayer, or even a wish, hand written in black magic pen.

Candles: Some 150 candles were placed on both sides of Mother Mary statue symmetrically, in a widthwise arrangement. The communicative aspect of the work was achieved by use of the element of line and related writings in contrasting the impermanence of candles and inscription with permanence which was deliberately hand written on glass surface. 

Flowers: The flowers installation was created by using a mix of color blue and its secondary complement color orange. Flowers were first dyed then put in baskets made for this purpose.

 

Mehri Publications and Cista Arts provided financial support for this project. 

Many thanks to members of La Purisma Church, Father Kerry, Father Martin, Agnes, Lydia, Rudy, Michael, Alma, and all women, men and children who kindly helped. Thanks very much to Dr Khosrow Tadayon for translating this text.