The Art of Defiance: Dissident Culture and Militant Resistance in 1970s Iran

Intellectuals and artists in post-1953 Iran produced works that defied the Shahs dictatorship and Great Civilisation propaganda, with dissident artists creating symbolic works that popularised the militants' ideas through artistic depictions and tropes. This book explores how militant action was translated into artistic expressions and vice versa, and how the PFG militants were able to acquire a 'heroic dimension in the eyes of the public.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 344 pages
Publication date: 14 February 2024
Publisher: Edinburgh University Press

In the post-1953 era of heightened state control, censorship, and suppression of opposition in Iran, intellectuals and artists began to create works that challenged the Shah's dictatorship and the regime's Great Civilization propaganda. As urban guerrilla warfare emerged in 1971, dissident artists, led by the Marxist Peoples Fadai Guerrillas (PFG), produced symbolic works that popularized the militants' ideas through artistic depictions and tropes, while portraying them as immortal freedom fighters. These arts of defiance resonated with young educated Iranians and certain segments of the public, shaping their perception of the state through the lens of its most radical critics: militant dissidents. This book delves into the poetry, fiction, songs, and films of the 1960s and 1970s, examining how militant action was translated into artistic expressions and vice versa. It also explores how the PFG militants, despite their small numbers, were able to achieve a 'heroic dimension' in the eyes of the public, portraying a symbolic image of defiance that went beyond their actual militant existence.

Dimension: 234 x 156 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781474492232