The sociological analysis of relations in the world of Illumination art based on Howard Becker's point of view in Isfahan city

Razaghnejad, Arezu; Khoddami, Alireza; Shayganfar, Nader; Yusefi, Rasool

doi:10.22059/jsal.2024.371325.666294

The sociological analysis of relations in the world of Illumination art based on Howard Becker's point of view in Isfahan city

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

Arezu Razaghnejad ¹

alireza khoddami ²

nader shayganfar ³

rasool yusefi ⁴

¹ M.A. of Art Studies, Department of Art Studies, Faculty of Research Excellence in Art and Entrepreneurship, Art University of Isfahan, Isfahan, Iran

² Assistant Professor (lecturer), University of Isfahan, Isfahan, Iran

³ Art Research Faculty of Entrepreneurship and Excellence in Art, Isfahan Art University

⁴ Department of Art Studies, Faculty of Research Excellence in Art and Entrepreneurship, Art University of Isfahan

10.22059/jsal.2024.371325.666294

Abstract

Illumination is one of the traditional arts of Iran, hence explaining the nature of this art medium through the applying sociological approaches can clarify some of neglected aspects of production this kind of artwork. One of the approaches that deals with the production of artworks is Howard Becker's production system elucidated in his book titled Worlds of Art. Howard Becker presents a sociological account of how an art production is a collective enterprise that involves various people occupying different roles and positions. The question of the upcoming research is how the sociological formation of the production system of gilded works in the city of Isfahan and the aim of this article is finding a sociological explanation for the production system of illumination works in the city of Isfahan based on Becker's approach. The current research is qualitative. The method of data collection was field-based and it was done using semi-structured interviews. For data analysis, the thematic analysis method and the Atlas.ti software. The interviewees were selected among the illumination activists in Isfahan, including 13 people. According to the results, it was concluded that, illumination is produced, like any other artwork, in the framework of labor division system, in which everyone’s job description is defined based on certain patterns and in the form of collective actions and reactions.

Keywords

Illumination

sociology of art

Howard S. Becker

Isfahan

Production system