Inscription as Art in the World of Islam

Abstract

During April 1996, the Hofstra Cultural Center organized an international interdisciplinary conference that focused upon the role of inscription in Islamic art. The conference included diverse areas of inquiry. For instance, it accepted a paper that addressed the usage of Arabic script as inscription in different parts of the world and provided an opportunity to listen to papers that considered inscription as an icon as well as its context, function, and comparative features. In addition, the coordinators organized an exhibition of the works of several artists who were invited specifically to talk about their works. This exhibition started with the opening of the conference and continued into May. On display was a unique blend of traditional and modem uses of Arabic calligraphy--objects from the seventh century as well as those produced via contemporary technology. Habibeh Rahim, who is attached to Hofstra University's department of philosophy, and Alexej Ugrinsky of the Cultural Center, were the conference director and coordinator, respectively. The former initiated the idea and, with a committee of individuals, hosted the conference and exhibited a selection of Islamic art. This exhibition was supported further by permanent displays in New York City at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Brooklyn Museum, the Pierpont Morgan Library, and the New York Public Library. The conference opened with prayers from each of the major religious traditions and two brief addresses by Habibeh Rahim and David Christman, the dean of New College and current director of Hofstra Museum. The first session, chaired by Sheila Blair (Harvard Univeristy), consisted of the following scholars and presentations: Valerie Gonzalez (Ecole d'Architecture Provence-Mediterrainee Centre Habitat et Developpement, Marseille, France), "The Significant Esthetic System of Inscriptions in Muslim Art"; Peter Daniels (University of Chicago), "Graphic-Esthetic Convergence in the Evolution of Scripts: A First Essay"; Solange Ory (Universite de Provence at Aix-Marseille, France), "Arabic Inscriptions and Unity of the Decoration"; Sussane Babarie (New York University), "The 'Aesthetics' of Safavid Epigraphy: An Interpretation"; Ali al-Bidah (Dar al-Athar al-Islamiyah), "Aesthetic and Practical Aspects of a Hexagonal Emerald in Dar al-Athar al-Islamiyah"; and Howard Federspiel (McGill University, Canada), "Arabic Script on ...