Curated Conversation:
“The Last" by Hossein Goshtasbi

About the Artist:

Hossein Goshtasbi is a conceptual and fine art photographer based in Iran.

After graduating from photography studies, he began to refine his style, which he deems Poetic Conceptualism, using self-portraiture to create surreal and thoughtful images.

Instead of taking images simply for the sake of documenting, Goshtasbi uses photography to portray a concern or unspoken feeling, addressing a particular thought or concept.

About the Series "The Last":

"The Last"
When we hear this word, it brings up emotions of sadness, regret, and longing in our hearts.
But we always try to live our lasts in a different way...
With love...
With steps that are firmer than ever, but also shaky...
With eyes wide open, but filled with tears...
In a way that we don't want to leave that last moment in the hands of forgetfulness...
“The Last" project celebrates all the moments of life and serves as a reminder to live each moment as if it's the last time we are experiencing it...

- Hossein Goshtasbi

THE INTERVIEW

An: Can you tell us about your journey in photography and how you developed your style of Poetic Conceptualism?

Hossein Goshtasbi: I used to paint before I took up photography, and I had good skills in hyper-realistic painting. One day, I got tired of painting something that looked exactly like itself, and I asked myself to create something meaningful. Since I used to paint from real models and photos, after brainstorming, I searched for the necessary photos to mentally montage them and create a meaningful painting with them. I did it, and I liked the result. It felt like that was what I wanted, and I felt a sense of belonging to it. After several times of doing this painting process, I asked myself why I should take a picture of an idea in my mind and paint it again! I told myself to just take a picture of it! And that's how my photography journey began. I fell in love with it, and that's how this beautiful journey has reached here today. Poetry has a significant role in my photos; I owe reading and writing poetry to my friends who connected with me through my photos at the beginning of this journey. They used to tell me that we could sit for hours and write about your photos. It's like they're talking. It's like they have rhymes like poetry. Perhaps it was because they had roots in my heart, thoughts, and feelings. I wasn't much of a talker, maybe I turned my words into poetry with my art. Whatever it was, it was beautiful, and even now, every time after creating a piece, I sit in front of it for hours and stare at it and read its poetry with passion and love.

“The Last War” / Title by DeeZe
Make peace with yourself,
The war in the world will come to an end
Digital photography, Self-portrait (2024)

A: What inspired you to focus on self-portraiture as a primary medium for your work?

HG: This journey itself led me towards self-portraiture. Solitude has played a significant role in my path and still does. This solitude started from the fact that my family wanted me to become a doctor, and even though I wanted to pursue a career in art, they were against it because they thought it wouldn't lead to success. They were worried about my future, and I could never convince them to support me on this path. So, I eventually decided to continue on this path alone. I used to read art books in between my biology and chemistry covers books and worked as a laborer in fields to buy them. The fields were full of my whispers in solitude. Of the promises I made to myself. Solitude became a part of me, and I became my closest and most companionate person in my life. I would indulge in my art of photography alone and become the model and actor in my photos. And this undoubtedly led to more self-discovery for me. These limitations have made beautifully a path for me that today I walk on it with love and hope in life.

“The Last Dream” / Title by Pablo
The last dream,
Freedom.
Digital photography, Self-portrait (2024)

A: How did the concept for “The Last” project come about and what role does the community play in your creative process?

HG: Many of us have lost moments and loved ones that we later regret not cherishing, causing a lump in our throat that hurts our hearts every time. When I lost my brother, I experienced this feeling of why I didn't kiss him more. Why I didn't hug him more and why I didn't tell him I love him more. That's why I decided to create pieces about “The Last” ones. It wasn't something that could be captured in one piece, and I didn't want all of “The Last” ones to be from my perspective. I wanted people to share their last ones and their feelings. I wanted to connect our shared feelings. Maybe to live each moment of our lives deeper and more appreciatively.

I always express my thoughts and concerns through my photography, and I am good at it.

That's why I chose one of the topics that has been on my mind for a while and couldn't be portrayed as a single piece, to create a series of photos where the titles are chosen by the community.

I wanted to bring the emotions and thoughts from the hearts of the community...

I wanted to create a shared feeling between myself and the people, one that is deeper and more tangible...

I wanted to showcase my creativity and what I can create with just a single title.

 

- Hossein Goshtasbi

“The Last Memory” / Title by batsoupyum
From that sweet day, only a memory was left.
I went over it in a way that it seemed like I had put it in a cage in my mind.
I wanted it to always live in my imagination and memories.
I didn't want to let it go.
Digital photography, Self-portrait (2024)

A: Can you walk us through your creative process for this project, and how do you use visual elements and composition to convey the deeper emotions and concepts in your photographs?

HG: Words and sentences have images for me. I'm always looking for visual elements to turn each word and meaning into a poem. And this is my process; to divide a sentence, a worry, a belief, or a title into parts that each part finds a visual element and becomes part of a narrative. For me, it's like writing with poetic words. These elements can be anything; unusual objects that I can create myself or order their creation, space, location, clothing, colors, type of framing and composition, body language and facial expressions, etc.

A: How do you think offering framed physical prints enhances the experience of your artwork for collectors and viewers? 

HG: I don't like short and passing glances at my work. I would love them to take their time with them, discover, experience more, and see things that I may have not seen. The observations are different in different circumstances, maybe in this moment I look at a piece of art and see something else, but tomorrow I may have a different experience of seeing it. In addition to the visual beauty of an artwork, I think the experience of living with a physical artwork gives us the opportunity to see more, read more, and discover and experience more. Like living with a friend.

“The Last" will have 30 pieces, and each week a new wave will be released on SR. Each wave will include 3 pieces, accompanied by framed physical prints with certificates of authenticity.