Commitment in the Artistic Practice of Aref el-Rayess: The Changing of Horses

In April 1968, Aref El-Rayess' Dima wa Hurriyya (Blood and Freedom) exhibition opened at the LOrient newspaper headquarters in Beirut, featuring the allegorical mural painting The Changing of Horses. This artwork symbolized El-Rayess' commitment to national liberation and socialist revolution. Natasha Gasparian's book Commitment in the Artistic Practice of Aref El-Rayess reconstructs the history of the artwork and exposes the social antagonism suppressed in its idealized narrative, highlighting its avant-gardism and the delay in its historical understanding.

\n Format: Paperback / softback
\n Length: 78 pages
\n Publication date: 13 November 2020
\n Publisher: Anthem Press
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In the aftermath of the Arab defeat in the 1967 June War, a significant event occurred in April 1968 when Aref El-Rayess' Dima wa Hurriyya (Blood and Freedom) was unveiled to the public. This exhibition took place in the exhibition hall of the Orient newspaper headquarters in Beirut, Lebanon. The focal point of the exhibition was a remarkable realist mural painting titled The Changing of Horses. With this artwork, El-Rayess boldly expressed his commitment to national liberation and socialist revolution. While The Changing of Horses was initially perceived as an allegory of political commitment, its public reception revealed its excessive, unsettling, and fundamentally uncanny nature.

In her groundbreaking work titled Commitment in the Artistic Practice of Aref El-Rayess, Natasha Gasparian delves into the intricate tapestry of the artist's life and work. Through a comprehensive analysis of El-Rayess' writings, exhibition reviews, guestbook comments, personal correspondences, and testimonies, as well as social, political, and aesthetic shifts, particularly in the aftermath of the June 1967 war, Gasparian weaves together a rich social art history. By reconstructing the history of the artwork and tracing the gaps in the discourse surrounding it, Gasparian exposes the underlying social antagonism that is often repressed and obscured within the idealized narrative propagated by El-Rayess and his audiences.

One of the key insights that Gasparian highlights is the oversight in the reception of The Changing of Horses. The critics and audiences, unable to fully grasp the work's historical significance, point to the delay in understanding its avant-garde nature. This oversight serves as a testament to the complexities and challenges inherent in appreciating art that defies conventional conventions. It underscores the importance of a nuanced and critical approach to art interpretation, one that encourages us to look beyond the surface and engage with the deeper layers of meaning and symbolism.

Through her meticulous research and insightful analysis, Gasparian sheds light on the complex relationship between art, politics, and society. She challenges the notion that art can be divorced from its social context and highlights the ways in which it can be used as a powerful tool for social change. El-Rayess' commitment to national liberation and socialist revolution is seen as a reflection of his broader social and political concerns, and Gasparian explores the ways in which his artwork contributed to the debates on commitment (iltizam) in the aftermath of the June 1967 war.

In conclusion, Commitment in the Artistic Practice of Aref El-Rayess is a groundbreaking work that offers a fresh perspective on the art and life of the artist. Through its comprehensive analysis and reconstruction of the history of The Changing of Horses, Gasparian exposes the social antagonism that is often concealed within the idealized narrative propagated by El-Rayess and his audiences. By highlighting the oversight in the reception of the artwork, she underscores the importance of a nuanced and critical approach to art interpretation. This book is a valuable contribution to the field of art history and provides valuable insights into the complex relationship between art, politics, and society.

\n Weight: 134g\n
Dimension: 151 x 228 x 8 (mm)\n
ISBN-13: 9781785274626\n \n