Ben Apfelbaum

IRANZAMAN : MAJOR PERSIAN ART EXHIBITION @ POWERHOUSE MUSEUM

Although it has been collecting Persian art since the 1880’s it is only now that a major survey of its collection is being held at the Powerhouse Museum.

Between pre World War 1 there was a major influx of Iranian immigrants, many of whom donated their precious artefacts to the then Museum Of  Applied Arts and Sciences. 

Curated by Pedram Khosronejad, IRANZAMAN (Land of the Persians) focuses on the Qajar era (1789-1925) and encompasses material culture and techniques from hand-woven crafts, carpets and rugs, textiles, embroidery and foundry to arms, armour, glass and ceramics.

Due to the ancient metaphoric meaning of the number 7 in Persian culture, the exhibition examines how these prized objects were used in Persian society, focusing on seven themes: Joy and Happiness, Purification  and Cleansing, Spirituality and Devotion, Ritual and Performance, Patronage and Craftsmanship and Nature and Design. 

Other local highlights of the exhibition include Persian influenced wallpaper prints by renowned artist and textile designer Florence Broadhurst, especially as she saw it first hand due to her visit to Iran.

The other infusion of Persian culture into Australian society came with the opening of Jewish Iranian migrant Jacques (Jack) Cadry’s first Persian rug emporium in Edgecliff which is still run by his sons. Australia had never seen the intricacy and beauty of quality Persian rugs, ensuring the continued success of this Persian carpet dynasty. 

The exhibition runs at the Powerhouse until the 8th August, 2021

Featured image : Curator Pedram Khosronejad & Wine Jar. All pics by Ben Apfelbaum.

http://www.maas.museum/event/iranzamin

 

 

Published by Ben Apfelbaum

My photography began when my father handed me the proverbial brownie box camera as a child. As cameras developed I went through Fujica and Olympus range finders graduating to my first single lens reflex camera, the Minolta SRT101, the latter being the greatest facilitator to my growth as a photographer. Digital photography has only added to this. I was a regular contributor to Camera Craft magazine (Australian Camera ) for over three years. During Australia’s Bicentennial year (1988) I made it a personal project to document the celebrations. This culminated in the creation of a book of my photos which was published in 1989. The book was called CELEBRATING AUSTRALIA and came with an accompanying calendar. My works have appeared in a number of publications including the coffee book entitled MY AUSTRALIA (1989), publisher Robertsbridge Severn. This book had a preface by the then Australian Prime Minister Bob Hawke. I was a co-photographer on a book entitled SYDNEY- DISCOVER THE CITY with text written by Robert Treborland. Major Mitchell Press was the publisher. Also for two years I was the photographer for calendars celebrating Sydney’s multicultural communities. The two calendars were entitled MULTICULTURAL SYDNEY. My work appeared in a group exhibition held at Sydney’s Town Hall pertaining to the diversity of life in South America to raise money for orphanages there. I have over one hundred photos stored in the New South Wales State Library archive. I had a solo exhibition held in 2007 entitled Ben’s Lens at the Sydney Jewish Museum which celebrated the vibrancy of the Sydney Jewish community. Some of these photos are on the Museum’s permanent display. I have exhibited internationally firstly at the Spruill Gallery in Atlanta Georgia, united states, and in an exhibition entitled Kosher and Co at the Jewish Museum in Berlin. Currently I am a regular contributor to J-Wire and this esteemed publication.