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January across the
central desert of Iran Fish Design on the bed of the Sea of Salt In March 2008, I traveled to the central desert of Iran. British sculptor, Benjamin Hewett who was in Iran accompanied me and my family and we traveled to the Maranjab desert on the southern side of the Sea of Salt.
First we traveled to the historic city of Kashan, and from there we targeted the Sea of Salt. On our way we explored the desert and saw the beauty of the new spring flowers coloring this normally arid landscape and the creatures of the desert. More I know that this area is mostly sand and desert. I designed and produced three cylinder seals. Ben and my son Behzad assisted me to print these new seals in the sand and then took photos of me, while I worked. I usually suggest a location and start to print. Sometime a single line which shows a sequence of creatures and sometimes I make a pattern. The best photos can be taken in the early morning or the late afternoon when the sun is at its lowest. We visited and old fortified building which served the travelers of the caravan (Carawansara) in the southern part of the Sea of Salt. It was amazing to see such a paradise in the middle of desert and imagine in the old time when people trod the Silk Road and after fifty kilometers walk each day used it as a place of rest.
On our way one of my vehicles had a puncture. I didn’t want to risk driving on the spare wheel, so I decided to drive fifty kilometer back and repair my tire then continue my journey. In this remote region it is dangerous to go into it without a 4X4.
Our final destination was the Sea of Salt. We drove to south east part of the sea which has no water but is wet.
It looked like a magical land and we felt that we were on anther planet. A layer of salt covered everywhere. The texture and colors were so different I used a stick and designed many fish on the sea bed. When I scratched through the salt layers and revealed the clay beneath. I felt this sea needed some fish.
When we returned to Kashan we also visited some historic houses. They are amazing in architectural terms of design, space and geometrical patterns.
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