Embedded Memories

Amir.H. Fallah

My approach to art making is akin to the process of an archaeological dig. I begin by assuming the role of an analytical historian. I investigate my subject’s lives through the analysis of their personal belongings. Investigation of these objects slowly reveals the lives of my subjects, a history that becomes a complex mixture of facts and symbolism.
My work is interdisciplinary, but clearly rooted in the cannon of portraiture. After I have crafted the histories of the individual subjects and families portrayed in my paintings, site-specific installations are created to provide a framework for the paintings and accompanying sculptures to exist within. Although each individual piece is made to function independently, this installation-based method of producing work establishes a fully immersive experience for the viewer.
Field research is an integral part of my process. I visit people’s homes, and assemble a collection of their belongings that allude to their stories and identities. I become the arbiter of these individuals’ histories, curating found elements into contemporary portraiture. Through this process I do not attempt to beautify or flatter my subjects, and focus on integral points of their lives that subsequently shaped who they were as individuals. In direct opposition to the history of portraiture, I hide the true identity of my subjects by cloaking them in vivid, patterned fabrics found amongst their belongings. The viewer is forced to craft an identity for my subjects through their own interpretation of the curated elements I have presented.
Through the process of art making and the employment of contemporary portraiture, I am exploring the realms of truth through storytelling. Obsessive consideration of truth’s limitations can help us understand one another, and this examination of identity is the keystone of my practice.

Amir.H.Fallah, “The Prince of Pret A Porter”, (Acrylic, Collage, Pencil, Oil on Paper Mounted to Canvas), 274.32 x 182.88 cm, 2013
Amir.H.Fallah, “The Silent Peak”, (Acrylic, Colored Pencil and Collage on Paper Mounted to Panel), 60.96 cm in Diameter, 2013
Amir.H.Fallah, “The Ring Of Fire”, (Acrylic and Colored Pencil on Paper Mounted to Panel), 60.96 cm in Diameter, 2013
Amir.H.Fallah, “In The Clutches Of Tennessee”, (Acrylic, Collage, Colored Pencil, and Oil on Paper Mounted to Panel), 152.4 x 121.92 cm, 2014
Amir.H.Fallah, “Veiled Broadcast”, (Acrylic and Colored Pencil on Paper Mounted to Panel), 60.96 cm in Diameter, 2013
Amir.H.Fallah, “The Mechanism Of Facial Expression”, (Acrylic, Collage, Colored Pencil, and Oil on Paper Mounted to Canvas), 76.2 x 101.6 cm, 2014
Amir.H.Fallah, “Worshipping The Scholars Rock”, Acrylic and Colored Pencil on Paper | 30.5 x 40.6 cm | 2013
First Prayer | Acrylic and Colored Pencil on Paper | 22.9 x 30.5 cm | 2014
Hold Tight | Acrylic and Colored Pencil on Paper | 22.9 x 30.5 cm | 2014
In bloom 5 | Acrylic, Colored Pencil and Collage on Paper|15.2 x 22.9 cm | 2014
In Bloom 7 | Acrylic, Collage, Colored Pencil and Pencil on paper | 22.9 x 30.5 cm| 2014
In Bloom 8 | Acrylic, Collage and Pencil on Canvas | 27.9 x 35.6 cm| 2014
Remix |Acrylic and Colored Pencil on Paper Mounted to Canvas (4 canvases that can be shown together or in a set of 2) | 2015 | 50.8 x 162.56 cm
The Last Sunset | Acrylic, Watercolor, Ink, Collage, Colored Pencil on Paper Mounted to Canvas | 60.96 x 76.2 cm
YGTD1 | Acrylic, Ink, Colored Pencil and Collage on Paper Mounted to Canvas | 60.96 x 76.2 cm