Examining the Identity Position of Myth in Contemporary Iranian Painting Regarding Carl Gustav Jung's Ideas

Abstract

Human being thinks through language, symbol and myth by which they interact with the environment. Myth and art share the same subject, because both speak of the unconscious. Similarly, the reproduction of ancient myths in contemporary painting reflects this connection and interest. The identity function is among the hottest discussions among the mythologists, especially the Swiss psychologist Carl Gustav Jung. The present study aims to examine the relationship between individuation and identity function of myth based on Carl Gustav Jung's ideas and the way they are reflected in contemporary Iranian painting. The main questions of the study include: Which factors influence the formation of myth identity function in contemporary Iranian painting? How is the myth identity function reflected in Iranian painting according to Carl Gustav Jung's ideas? This research implements a descriptive-analytic approach by examining selected paints.  The sampling is among the works of contemporary Iranian painters, who are Bahman Mohasses, Iran Darroudi, Mansour Ghandriz, Aydin Aghdashloo, and Gizella Varga Sinai. The findings show that relying on Iranian myths, contemporary Iranian artists seek to find their identities, once imagined as lost or missing. The reliance on Iranian myths is so heavy that Iranian artists endowed Iranian spirit to Western myths in search of their own identities. Such attempts for identification appeared in different symbolic ways in their paintings resulted by the collective unconscious shared by these artists. Consequently, they may have different explanations according to Carl Gustav Jung's ideas.