I found the Talk by Tasawar Bashir very interesting and opening up further possibilities. In this respect, I suppose, it was 'a work in progress' - as it did not seem to be 'final' regarding a viewpoint on 'What is Muslim Art' and 'How has it, and artists, been affected (since) by the events of 9/11'? This 'weakness' was highlighted by a searching question at the start of the discussion-session, from a young woman who pointed out that there seemed to be no apparent link between the 'visual' to illustrate the Talk, and indeed, the Talk itself, reference '9/11'. Also the question was raised as to 'what was Islamic Art' - is there a tight definition, which clearly there is not, at least from the Presentation.
Unfortunately, I had to leave early after I myself linked/offered several images/ideas to the Subject - namely -The art of the Normans (which incorporated both Christian and Muslim Art, Architecture and artists), The Al' Hambra' , Granada and Toledo in Spain, and the Madrassa-University (for young women) in Samarkand (Soviet) Central Asia, founded by Tamarlaine The Great's gandfather (who was killed for this in a usurpation), and indeed the current contrnstantine The Great - and later modified by the incoming Muslim Turks, and of course, Jerusalem. All the above examples exemplify the on-going debate from earliest times regarding the question 'What is Muslim Art' and the affect it has on artists from both Christian and Muslim backgrounds. Thus several caveats regarding the Presentation were raised both at the time and in the in the following debate, some of which I shared.
Unfortunately, I had to leave early after I myself linked/offered several images/ideas to the Subject - namely -The art of the Normans (which incorporated both Christian and Muslim Art, Architecture and artists), The Al' Hambra' , Granada and Toledo in Spain, and the Madrassa-University (for young women) in Samarkand (Soviet) Central Asia, founded by Tamarlaine The Great's gandfather (who was killed for this in a usurpation), and indeed the current contrnstantine The Great - and later modified by the incoming Muslim Turks, and of course, Jerusalem. All the above examples exemplify the on-going debate from earliest times regarding the question 'What is Muslim Art' and the affect it has on artists from both Christian and Muslim backgrounds. Thus several caveats regarding the Presentation were raised both at the time and in the in the following debate, some of which I shared.
(c. A.Shaw, Nottingham, 14/09/2011)
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