11/19/2024
Through The Lens of Time: Icon
Thirty years ago, I captured a series of images in Iran that explore the profound impact of cultural upbringing on the psyche. These images weave a narrative of how icons—formed through religious, social, or cultural contexts—shape our inner world and sense of identity.
The posters in these photographs depict revered religious figures in Shia Islam, portrayed as all-powerful, just, and holy. These figures are elevated to mythical status, becoming not just religious icons but psychological ones, deeply imprinted in the minds of those who grow up surrounded by them. Similar to how celebrities function in Western cultures, these icons become templates of what we aspire to, admire, and unconsciously identify with.
The story unfolds across several stages:
- Childhood Admiration: In youth, we see these figures as ideals, symbols of perfection and authority.
- Adolescent Identification: As we grow, we internalize their attributes, striving to emulate their qualities, often without question.
- Adulthood Doubt: Maturity brings reflection, questioning the validity and relevance of these teachings in our lives.
- Liberation and Self-Discovery: Finally, there comes a turning point—a shedding of imposed identities to find the truth of who we are as humans. It is in this space that we begin to appreciate our own humanity, free from the need to be “superhuman.”
This journey, though deeply personal, is universal. It speaks to the challenge of unearthing ourselves beneath layers of cultural, religious, and societal conditioning. I hope we all strive to question, to reflect, and to choose our role models consciously, rather than accepting the ones handed to us by introjection.
Let us discover the icons we truly wish to follow, not out of obligation, but out of authenticity.
