I must create a system or else be enslaved by another mans; I will not reason and compare: my business is to create.

William Blake (17571827)

Nobody gives you freedom, you have to give it to yourself.

Hassan Sharif, March 2008

Paulina Kolczynska

Hassan Sharif A Rare Bloom in the Desert

Prologue
Hassan Sharif was a teenager in Dubai when he decided to become an artist and he never looked back. I never thought of anything else, says the man now considered the father of the contemporary art scene in the United Arab Emirates. The person who started him on the path to his vocation was Abu Zaydeh, a history teacher at Al Shaab public school in Dubai. Taking note of Hassans skill, Abu Zaydeh encouraged the young boy who, in addition to his other studies, had been taking applied art classes four hours a week to copy pictures from a history book. I painted the whole book, and the teacher, whom I can never forget, hung all my paintings on the classroom walls, and other students used to come and look at them, Hassan recalls. He became known then as the Al Shaab or Public School Painter, and the title stuck. Around the same time, he came across books on Van Gogh, Cezanne and Picasso at the oldest bookshop in Dubai. He knew nothing about any of the styles and was unable to read English back then, but he would leaf through the books, asking himself: How are these works painted and how one can develop all these different styles of painting? He was so adept at drawing that while he was still in high school, he got a job as an artist for a newspaper published by the media department of the Municipality of Dubai. He also worked on a magazine published by Al Nasr Sports Club, where he and his friends used to hang out. Hassan would sketch people, places and objects, gradually developing a sharp, realistic style. These sketches small vignettes of daily life, human types and street scenes looked effortless, as though the artist had glimpsed them out of the corner of an eye and transferred them onto paper. This acute awareness of the dynamics of his own environment paved the way for the next station in his artistic journey: caricature. His witty and ironic comic strips began to appear regularly in the Dubai-based weekly magazine Akhbar Dubai. In a very short time, Hassans provocative and satirical works became extremely popular, as they documented daily life, sports and, eventually, complex political issues. Looking at them today, even without the ability to read the Arabic commentaries, one

is able to detect a talented artist with a grown-up sense of irony and wit and the artistic skills of a much older, experienced craftsman who purposefully draws defined but playful lines. By this time, Hassan was also working at the UAE Ministry of Youth and Sports, doing caricatures as well as running community youth houses in Dubai and Abu Dhabi. He had been in charge of spotting artists and collecting their works, so that they could be exhibited during artistic events held in countries abroad. This was the case in Libya (1975), Morocco (1979) and Syria (1981). I also travelled to Sudan and Saudi Arabia to meet other young artists, Hassan explains. In the 1970s, Dubai was a perfect laboratory for a developing young artist. Once oil was discovered in the Gulf region in 1966, Dubai changed almost overnight, giving Sharif a chance to observe the relatively fast transformation of a traditional Arab backwater on the edge of the desert, economically depressed (since the pearl business, which had kept Dubai wealthy for a century, had died out more than a decade earlier), change into an affluent, newly proclaimed sovereign nation, anchored by a metropolis that seemed to spring out of the desert, distinctly superseding the traditional Arabic ambience of an earlier age. When the United Arab Emirates was established on December 2, 1971, the young Sharif started to comment on the changes around him, perceptively and humorously, based on his already well-defined view of the society and the political environment around him. In wordplay and drawings, his commentaries addressed both national and panArab issues. I could not be an idle bystander, he now says, looking back. My caricatures were ironic and provocative and popular. And every week, he would produce a page of four caricatures on one subject for Akhbar Dubai. Being part of an opinion-making group had been very important for Hassan Sharif from the very beginning. His work as a caricaturist allowed him to be an active member of the local community, critiquing it with irony, intensity and humour. It also enhanced his understanding of the importance of such an involvement. It is important to make waves, he says, to wake the people, stimulate them and not allow the water to get stale. I always wanted to participate, I saw it as a mission. And it was at this time that he knew his voice could have an impact on society and that he was not afraid to voice his own opinions and share his beliefs and observations. This foreshadowed his life to come, as a humanist and an educator. It was towards the end of the 1970s that Sharif began to devote time to painting. He started off by exploring different styles in order to understand the frame of mind of their respective proponents and as a way of finding out more about the great masters. He did not have teachers who could explain to him the bases of Cubism or German Expressionism, so catalogues featuring the early 20th century masters became his cherished visual references and guides. From the beginning, he notes, just by looking at works in my books, I was becoming aware of a different way of thinking and making art. I was always trying to find a way. I knew there was something new and different out there. The book in Arabic that had a big impact on him was The Age of Surrealism, by Khalida Said, the wife of the Syrian poet and essayist Adunis (Ali Ahmad Said). As Sharif read about Surrealism, Dada and the notion of automatic painting, he tried to get a better sense of contemporary painting by reproducing these styles. Without much hesitation, he worked to achieve a more avant-garde way of creating artistic language. At this time, he also started to learn English. Fascinated by Cubism, he painted in 1976 a few pieces strongly echoing Picasso and Braque. Some of them were

put on display in the Youth Theatre and Arts in Dubai and one of them was shown in the Youth Arab Festival held in Morocco that year, and was reviewed by the local press. Meanwhile, Sharif began to sense a significant discrepancy between conventional and contemporary means of expression. Since the 1950s, contemporary Iraqi painters had been interested in the innovative inclusion of Arabic calligraphy in their paintings, echoing the non-figurative styles of the past. From the beginning I felt that this was not the way to think and to make a contemporary painting, Sharif says. His affinity for art criticism, his appreciation of historical contextualisation and his passion for literary discussion and interpretation were already noticeable at this point. In 1978, he applied for a scholarship and a passport to study abroad. Despite suggestions that he should seek placement somewhere in Italy, he opted for Britain and France. Accepted in England, he moved there in 1979 to study at Warwickshire College in Leamington Spa. Courses at the college were divided between traditional life-drawing classes and experimental, abstract-art based courses. The fact that one could experiment freely without having to complete the traditional courses first was liberating, putting him instantly on the path to contemporary, avant-garde thinking. On the one hand, Sharif was still learning about art techniques in general and the ways they can be utilised in forming contemporary style. On the other, he was becoming more aware of where he wanted to situate himself as an artist. During his stay oversees, he continued to do caricatures and small sketches, but also embarked on a project he called Portraits of Leamington Spa. The project was executed in a number of forms, using different mediums, which resulted in disparate but coherent groups of works, each presenting a specific portrait of the city. One set, for instance, consisted in a collection of small caricature drawings. Another set included a painting on paper representing Leamington Spa, a cityscape complete with its architecture, signboards and signposts, carried out in a post-impressionist manner. By focusing on advertisement signs and other aspects of commercialism as vital components of the visual landscape, Sharif wanted to emphasise the contemporary dimensions of his work. In another piece, he produced a portrait of the city by taking photographs of people and places that were part of the daily life of this small resort by the Avon River in England. With the same sensitivity and alertness with which he used to capture the ambiance of Dubai in his early drawings, he now used photography to capture the vibes of this English scenery. During these formative years, Sharif kept on reading about and exploring various aspects of artistic life, which for him was imperative in the process of formulating his self. Already, he believed that living is very much a part of art and that one should live art in order to make it. Next, in 1981, Sharif enrolled in the Byam Shaw School of Art in London. This is where he joined a very distinctive intellectual milieu, which left a long-lasting imprint on his understanding of art making. Both the environment and his teachers played a crucial role in determining how Hassan Sharif was going to make his own art.

Education and Birth of the Artist (19811984)

When Hassan Sharif entered the Byam Shaw School of Art, the artist and teacher Tam Giles was in her second year as the Head of the Abstract and Conceptual Workshop. The first woman in England to hold such a position, Giles described herself as

a rebel against traditional forms of art, with great belief in experimentations. Having travelled extensively in the Middle East, South America and the United States because of her husbands work, Giles had an unusually broad vision of the world. In 1957, she had studied briefly with the notable artist and teacher Jose Gurvich at the El Taller Torres Garcia a famous atelier devoted to the development of strictly Latin American artistic language in Montevideo, Uruguay, where she had an opportunity to explore both figurative and abstract art influenced by constructivist theories. These studies propelled her further into contemporary art, a tendency that was reinforced during her time at George Washington University in Washington from 1964 to 1968. Inspired by the diverse art scene in America, she chose hard-edged abstract art as her focus. Tam also wanted to be a teacher but on her arrival back in England she learned that, as a middle-class woman, she stood no chance of being accepted at the University of Londons Goldsmiths College. The Byam Shaw School of Art, however, hired her to teach a silkscreen class in late 1968 and she eventually became the Head of the Abstract and Conceptual Workshop. Her agenda for the workshop emphasised experimental ideas and gave students the framework and discipline needed to access different forms of expression. The atmosphere at the school was vibrant, as was the case in many British art schools from the late 1950s to the early 1970s. Thus, the times were conducive to a full submersion in intellectual discourse and unrestricted creation. Even though the British economy was suffering at the time, which did have an impact on the art market, the London art scene remained dynamic nonetheless. Shows at the Institute of Contemporary Art (ICA) in London or at the Serpentine and Whitechapel galleries provided support and encouragement for the progressive artists and teachers studying or working in art schools. Sharifs studies introduced him to a collage of influences, styles and artistic tendencies that developed after World War II through to the 1970s. Add to that the ideas of the prominent French artist Marcel Duchamp which had a considerable impact on Sharifs work and actually played a determinant role in his choice of artistic direction. The concept of the abandonment of retinal art, for instance, opened a new route for Sharif to start shaping his art objects through the use of impersonal methods of production, including the utilisation of ready-mades. On the whole, Sharifs studies at Byam Shaw strongly echoed the art trends of the earlier 1960s, namely post-painterly abstraction, hard-edge painting, Op Art, minimalism, performance art, the Fluxus movement and Pop Art from the 1950s. In fact, the school at that time was open to all artistic practices that had the potential to define new sensibilities, including what Tam Giles called the third area, meaning advancement in video and performing arts. Part of the teaching was also inspired by modified avant-garde traditions, namely constructivism in its altered form of British constructivism. This was the time when Sharif was introduced to theoretical thinking in art, which he especially appreciated in constructivist art. Constructivism had developed in England later than in mainland Europe, and despite the fact that it was never greatly popular in Britain, it had undergone many distinctive transformations thanks to a group of creative and very devoted artists. In the 1950s, the Constructionist group that included Victor Pasmore (19081998), Kenneth Martin (19051984), Mary Martin (1907-1969) and Anthony Hill (b. 1930) left a distinctive imprint; in 1951, they renamed the movement from Constructivism to Constructionism to highlight their interest in mathematical components being part of the structuring process. Their work ultimately led, in 1972, to the creation of

the Systems group, which was spearheaded by Michael Kidner (19172009), Malcolm Hughes (19201997), Jean Spencer (19421998), Peter Lowe (b. 1938) and Jeffrey Steele (b. 1931). These artists made an essential contribution to perpetuating the concept of the rational construction of artwork. They believed that art did not imitate nature, but rather was constructed from the same systems as nature. Hassan Sharif was, indeed, immersed in these key theories and concepts at Byam Shaw where invited speakers included such artists as Malcolm Hughes and Jean Spencer of the Systems group. Hassan was also introduced to the works of Michael Kidner, whom he had met in early 1982 when Tam invited students to visit Kidner in his home in London. That was the first time I met him, Sharif recalls, the second time was in November 1982 when we attended his exhibition series. It is worthy of note that the artistic credo of Hassans teacher Tam, and her own work, which displayed a great commitment to geometrical abstraction and systematic strategy, greatly influenced him. But, there was still another influence on Sharif at this time: the work of Kenneth Martin, who has been called one of the fathers of British Constructivist Art. It is not certain that Sharif studied Kenneth Martins theoretical writings in depth while he was at school, yet one can clearly see that Martins work has influenced his life and career. Martin, the leading theorist of British constructivism, devoted his life to defining the relationship between movement and construction as a means of generating a variety of sculptural structures. For instance, he believed in the involvement of arithmetic calculations in determining the dimensions and proportions of the object and also in the role of systematised constructive process governed by chance and order. To reinforce this approach, he titled a series of paintings and works on paper The Chance and Order Series. While in England, Sharif became aware of the use of systematic procedures to generate new facets of order, sequence, rhythm and structural relationships in artwork. The role of the mathematical component in the systematic works provided also an opening onto a different frame of mind for Sharif. Almost instantaneously he became attracted to the notion of building, as Martin has it, by simple elements, an expressive whole. Sharif felt that he ought to take advantage of this inspiration, which offered him both structure and suggestions for innovation. The whole notion of chance, which had been centre-stage in the Fluxus movement since the 1960s, had a significant impact on a number of aspects of Sharifs art. In fact, he had chosen to apply chance within the constructivist framework for some time. But as much as he was inspired by these systematic approach in constructing artwork, geometrical abstraction included, some other manifestations of the Fluxus movement that surfaced as a reaction against abstract formalism found strong resonance in his work. At this point in time, Sharif observes, the medium of painting felt somehow restricted and almost too traditional. So on the eve of the contemporary art worlds reclamation of figurative painting as the artistic medium du jour, Sharif decided to go in the opposite direction. It was a rather antithetical move on his part, given that figurative painting was in effect replacing minimalism and conceptual abstraction as a re-discovered means of expression precisely then, in the early 1980s. But Sharif felt differently, and had the courage to admit it: I felt no visual pleasure anymore when I viewed paintings and traditional sculpture. It seemed to me that art is neither painting nor sculpture, but it is something else and so I tried to fill up this gap. In the words of Marcel Duchamp, Sharif left retinal art behind and submitted to the type of art that could be in service of mind.

Experiments and Semi-System Drawings (19811985)

Between 1981 and 1983, Sharifs vision erupted into experimentations that highlighted the emergence of his use of the simple object as the focus of his work. This went hand in hand with the budding artists resolve to widen his artistic scope through experimental processes. Sharif understood the importance of the use of an object as a base for further construction and made his first attempts to build a two-dimensional field (the grid) with the purpose of revamping the framework of his artwork. The focus of one set of pieces, for instance, was the physicality of certain objects that are deemed to lack symbolic meaning or narrative qualities. This tendency is illustrated in several works, namely Ruler (1981), which consists in three photographic takes of a single ruler. Another is a collage of objects at Sharifs home in Dubai, where in 1982 he photographed, one by one, his comb, his alarm clock, a shoe, ping-pong palette, an iron, stapler, his exercise book and a tin of paint: Things in My Room, Dubai, (1982). The word experiment has a major significance because from now on experimental activity would become an integral part of his creativity. In that same period, Sharif attempted to capture the characteristics of a three-dimensional environment in Counting Cars in Al Dhiyafah Road (1982). The process of counting cars was photographed frame by frame for the purposes of charting the location. Sharifs meticulousness in perceiving his surroundings evolved and led him to the idea of creating a mathematical module he could use to calculate further steps in the construction of the artwork. In some cases, the creation of the module referenced the environment directly; for example, the number of steps between trees or the number of parked cars in the environment would provide the figure the artist used to multiply the distances between objects. However, in the piece called Dictionary (1981), the photographed object became the source of the numerical figure. Sharif pre-arranged each letter of the English alphabet with the corresponding page in the Al-Mawrid Arabic-English Dictionary; he then placed the page on a piece of plywood and fixed the camera in one place. The result figure was based on the sum of the single digits in the page number, and he photographed this page at the corresponding distance. The letter E, for example, was photographed four steps away from the camera, because the number of the page for this letter was 301, which in the calculation of the single digits yielded the number 4 (3 + 0 + 1 = 4). The other issue that began to interest Sharif at this time was the possibility of re-framing a three-dimensional structure as though he was looking for a two-dimensional one. He began a series of attempts aimed at constructing and utilising a grid as an exclusive space for the creation of art. Drawing Squares on the Floor Using a Cube (1982) was made at Byam Shaw that year. Sharif worked on the piece using a pre-existing model of a large cube. The print of the cube on the cement floor became a base for multiplying and constructing the whole. In Drawing on the Wall and Floor, Using Charcoal (1982), Sharif chose a wooden stretcher (a pre-existing model) and drew its outline on the ground and walls, so that it became a symbolic way of marking the visual field. Also in 1982, Sharif made an object called Cardboard Cloth (Homage to Carl Andre), which is a tribute to the American minimalist who created grid-format sculptures. Made from cardboard and cloth, the piece was designed to be shown

on the floor in two different forms, either in its entirety or folded. Sharif continued to experiment within the systematic framework while becoming increasingly aware of the wider spectrum of the early 1980s. His search for a more defined constructivist structure was still gestating and the mathematical component of his work appeared only loosely in these experimentations. While searching for new avenues for exploration, he also ventured into creations resembling books. Between 1982 and 1985, he made a handful of those. At first they were in a format of stapled sheets of paper depicting his early systematic calculations and permutations. Then he used exercise books with blank pages or simply ones with the bookkeepers format, in which the pre-printed columns provided an alternative structure of the visual field. At this point, his application of experimental structures started to emerge in an especially original fashion. Between 1983 and 1985, he created a diverse yet coherent body of work that defined his relationship to the systematic approach. Although inspired by systematic strategies, Sharif never fully surrendered to the rule. From the very beginning, he wanted to remain at the fringes of the system in order to retain space for the creation of his own constructive process. It was revealing that he chose for the series of drawings he started to make at this time the title of Semi-System Drawings. In fact, while he technically remained within the systematic framework, it was through this coined description of semi-systems that he made an important statement, signalling that he was taking some distance from the original systematic agenda. Sharifs 1983 drawings were thus based on simple, self-invented rules of rhythmic steps, governed by sequences of 1, 2, 3. A good illustrative example would be One, Two, Three (1983). This drawing represented a systematic exercise of juxtaposed squares arranged vertically. Each of the squares contained a different pattern of squiggles in threes, with the occasional square filled with the 3 sequences of 3 in permutation. The square, being the basic element of the grid, was highlighted as the strictly structural constituent of the drawing. The latter, for its part, consisted of one sheet in which the process and the final outcome were one and the same. In another exercise, for which only the single sketch remains, One, Two, Three Z-Horizontal & Vertical Lines 1 (1983), we can see that the permutation/sequencing process was charted and had to be presented on a separate piece of paper that illustrated the components of the exercise and the remaining procedural steps. He was delving deeper and more fully into the core of the systematic process, so much so that sketches and calculations were inseparable from his artwork. The positioning of the single line within the square became a recurrent element, a bit of a leitmotif, in his pieces. That same year, Sharif also focused on geometrical figures, as he did in the System 02 (1983) drawing, for example. The exercise here is based on the correlation between the line and the set of rhombi. The line divides the sets of three figures, but it is also drawn over the sequence of two or three. The complexity of this sequencing lies in the occasional introduction of an additional component; superimposed rhombi that alternate with the sequence of rhombi with lines. There is no sketch for this work, proclaiming it as the final and only document. System 02 can also be seen as the anticipation of the theme that, in the same time frame, was developed in another drawing, called Movement of Squares Side (1983). The clockwise movement of the line here is mixed with the occasional disruption created by the detached line that skews off from the square, bringing an alternate meaning to the movement itself. Clearly, the notion of randomness emerges as the building block of the sequence.

Sure, Sharif applied his self-invented rules to capture and navigate the construction process, but the exercise as a whole had no aesthetic function per se. The procedure was a deliberate way of opening the doors to new structural possibilities. Sharif not only continued within the realm of non-retinal art as prescribed by Duchamp, he also whole-heartedly embraced the act of the depersonalised creation. Duchamp was the first to preach this sort of attitude, but it was John Cage who adapted it as an act of liberating the artist from taste, habit and ego.(1) At this point, Sharif was too fascinated by the systematic framework to develop any form of longing for the freedom of creation derived from spontaneous inspiration. Chance and order interested him much more. An example of Sharifs usage of a framework in the spirit of Kenneth Martins concept of chance and order is depicted in a rare drawing titled System 01 (1983), in which, just like Martin, Sharif would number the intersections of an underlying grid and then join the straight lines, pairing randomly selected number points. However, it is the only work that follows Martins idea relatively closely. Others, like Movement of Squares Side (1985) and 1 to 8. Eight-A, (1985), draw from the general structural framework of Martins drawings, using it more as a departure point. Sharif was balancing the pre-determined and the random aspects of the process and formulating his own ways of utilising it. His objective was to reach a wider diversity of outcomes and, by the same token, open up areas for chance to occur and to observe how it had taken place. During the two following years 1984 and 1985 he produced two types of works: one was dominated by the continued use of basic structures and simple lines within the semi-system drawings, without any reference to calculations; the other consisted of drawings in which extremely complex calculations and multi-part steps were fundamental components. A good number of these drawings focused on the simple straight line, the single line or the line as an integral part of the square; coloured lines and line-based patterns shown in sequences were also introduced. For example, in Black + Black = Blue. Blue + Black = Red (1984), colour plays the role of a determinant of the sequence, as it appears to govern every aesthetic interaction, as described in the title. Colour in this piece does not have an influence on the structural form of the square, but it serves as yet another variable that can be employed as a determinant in the systematic process. Similarly, in another couple of drawings, the lines are shown in patterns. The sequenced drawings called Lines A 1984, 2nd Version (2006) and Lines B 1984, 2nd Version (2006) are based on lines laid out in a pre-determined sequence. This is an instance where the form of the line dictates the role intended for it to play; in this case, what makes the difference is the size of the line, which can be either small or large. Yet, interestingly, the structure of the square dissolves, softening the geometrical aspect of the drawing in either case. (The original sketches were lost; this description is based on the subsequently created second version of the drawing). The other notable work of this period comes to us through the only remaining original sketch for Dots, Lines & Forms (1984). In the grid, the artist demonstrates what becomes of dots and lines in the gradual process of building. First, he presents dots placed randomly at the intersections of the grid. Then, he joins the dots, but shows them connected only in the next portion of the grid, so the first stage of the drawing is still visible and very much part of the visual field. And, lastly, we can see the lines in squares as determined by the dots. This sort of anatomical presentation of the genesis of the piece on a single sheet of paper seems to underline, once more, the artists desire to connect the making

process to the outcome thereof. Focus varies from drawing to drawing as Sharif works towards assimilating the knowledge and understanding that comes with each artwork. He begins with the object (a simple line, dot or geometrical figure), applies the systematic approach (pre-determined or random, based on simple or complex calculations), then decides on the presentation by including or excluding the sketches as a documentation of the process. What Sharif had been learning really was the deeper mechanics of chance with its exhilarating dose of the unknown which he has tried to employ and, to some degree, harness. As he continued to work on the constructive process, the steps began to gradually coalesce. The piece called 1-2-3 No. 1 and No. 2 (1984) is a primary example of how a very complex process produces the desired array of possibilities. Sharif employed multi-part, analytical steps and procedures, all of which were equally important. The nine-box square and the permutation of the 1, 2, 3 digit-set within it were the basis for this work. The permutation of the digit-set 1, 2, 3 produced three rows of sequences. And the established sequences, in turn, determined the placement of the three negative (black) boxes within the cube. Nine squares, with three boxes each, were the pre-designed outcome. Then another set of nine squares was produced based on the pre-determined decision to merge two squares from the first batch. A sequence of 1/1, 2/1, 2, 3 was applied as a rule of merging. The outcome was an additional nine possibilities of the placements of the negative (black) boxes within the square, which Sharif applied randomly into another structure. The structure of the nine-box square became the underlying grid for the superimposed combination of squares from the previously described merger. The important difference was that, for the purpose of clarity, the negative boxes were made into positive ones, but the pattern remained the same. The spiralling system of the negative boxes was calculated based on the permutation of the 1, 2, 3 digit-set and the combination of directions. Result: the applied spiralling system created a sense of movement of the squares superimposed on the grid. Sharif would go on to create three horizontal rows and nine columns of such combinations on one sheet of paper. He made three corresponding drawings in this manner. The outcome was visually compelling. In the course of three days (between 10th13th of October (1984) Sharif went through another process where he used a series of permutations and the random choice of numbers to create an ordered-by-chance, aline-based structure called 10th to 13th of October-1984 No. 2. Straight and wavy lines were drawn in sequences in an alternating mode, visually forming the column. The sequence was the outcome of the calculations based on the reordered and pre-determined number sets. It is the intertwinement of chance and randomness that fascinated him most, as an infinite source of possibilities and a door wide open onto the unexpected. Yet it was this overwhelming role of randomness in the creation of the final drawing that challenged the rational logic of the whole process, as if the artist was using the system against itself.

Performance Art (19821984)

Although Sharif was still only a student at the Byam Shaw Art School between 1981 and 1984, the volume, intensity, focus and growing artistic fluency of his work make this period important, not only as a record of his learning and gestation process but

also as the artistic moment of creation for him, the moment that defines the significance of his seminal works. Paradoxically, it was during his search for an individual form of expression, a distinctive voice, that he exhibited and developed a maturity that would become the characteristic vehicle for his own ideas. According to artist and professor Tam Giles, who worked with Sharif closely during the London years, this seriousness and intensity singled him out among the students. Whether studying in London or on school breaks in the UAE, he had been working on a continuous basis. Making art in Dubai was exceptionally important for him, not only because it was his home but also because it posed a challenge: contemporary art was virtually non-existent in the UAE at the time and, as a whole, the visual arts scene left much to be desired. Sharif felt very strongly that he could help make the Emirates a place for contemporary art events, so he was very active artistically during his summer breaks even when the temperatures reached 49 Celsius (120 Fahrenheit). While continuing his constructions of semi-system drawings, Sharif also wanted to expand the scope of his activities into other artistic mediums. He was becoming more and more prolific in multifarious forms, but now he also wanted to try his hand at performance art, which offered him a new prospect for growth, combining systematic thinking and a form of art that involves him physically.What seemed to encourage his choice was the complex artistic heritage of the 1960s, including an intermedia movement called Fluxus, which integrated experimenting, film, mathematical drawings, performances and chance happenings. In the early 1980s it still lingered within the art community. So the simplicity and absurdity found in Sharifs approach to performance may well have been inspired, at least in part, by Fluxus. It was between 1982 and 1983 that the artist established his theoretical thinking about performance. Although there was no realistic possibility that he could popularise performance art in Dubai back then, he was still making a profound contribution to the future artistic landscape in the UAE. Through his early performances, Sharif became the very unique and foremost representative of that art genre in the Gulf region. Indeed, his contribution to the form can be classified as historical, because it widened the whole scope of this medium. One series of these performances took place in the Hatta desert near Dubai. It was usually in the scorching heat of early lunchtime in August when Sharif, with only a few close friends and family members for an audience, would drive out to the dunes to document his performances. The desert, with its peculiar topography and feel of timelessness, has always been of a singular importance to Sharif. I am a Nomad, he affirms, and the desert is my home. The desert is vast and can be dangerous just like the ocean. The sense of a home that is both comforting and unsafe is a striking observation here. Walking No. 1 (1982, page 131), Jumping No. 2 (1983), Walking No. 2 (1983, page 146) and Digging and Standing (1983, page 152) took place in the same area of Hatta and were the first performances ever performed in a desert by a Gulf artist. The set of photographs that document these performances show ordinary physical acts such as walking, jumping and digging, deliberately taken out of context to illustrate the pursuit of meaninglessness. And although Digging and Standing might appear to visually echo the late 1960s performance by Keith Arnatt entitled Self Burial, it is important to recognise major differences. By going through a series of insignificant activities, Sharif looks into their purposelessness without imposing a new sense or suggesting an alternative meaning. His series of absurd walks were either photographed showing his figure disappearing

into the horizon or moving from left to right in the visual field. In other pictures, we get to see the artists twisted body in a series of methodical jumps. Children jump while playing, men jump from parachutes and people jump at the beach. In this performance, I jump in the Hatta desert, says Sharif. Many people jump in different ways. So why shouldnt I jump in the desert? Also in 1983, Sharif incorporated his systematic calculations into such astonishing performances as Body and Squares (1983) and My Body in the Store (1983). In the former, Sharif drew a 25-square grid measuring 165cm by 165cm, corresponding to his height. Then, he tried to cover as many of the squares with his body as physically possible, using calculations based on chance and order. His body became the vehicle for a mathematically structured choreography. All the calculated positions were photographed in a sequence that, indeed, attests to a fascinating fusion of systematic strategy with performance art. Still, this was only one step forward. Sharif would go even further with his next performance. My Body in the Store, which took place in Dubai, brought an even more creative variation of body positioning within the grid, and introduced a new representation of the grid itself. So far the grid had always been two dimensional either drawn on paper or marked on the ground where it served as a structure for a geometrical figure, a simple line, or a placeholder for an object. Also, the grid had always been an integral part of the diagram, illustrating the permutations comprised in the systematic process. What Sharif achieved this time was a key structural change due to the three-dimensional representation of the grid. It was constructed by tying the ropes from the ceiling of the store, which created rhythmic divisions in the pre-determined space of the cube. The relationship between the artists body, the objects, and the rope became a determining factor in his efforts to relocate within this construction. Random calculations were used to determine the route, and it was a truly spectacular performance. To be sure, Sharif was strongly intent on using the familiar environment of Dubai in his art. This applies to yet another small string of his performances, which includes Swing (1983, page 141), Recording Stones (1983, page 140) and Throwing Stones (1983, page 147). In Swing, his voice is recorded humming a mono syllabic haaa while riding a swing in the backyard of his house. The recorder was fixed in one position, and the voice was captured in high and low frequency, rising and falling with the swings sway. The recording somewhat resembled chanting. It almost echoed the muezzins call to prayer, and this auditory similarity created an instance of a contemporary art expression: the idea was to deconstruct a familiar action for the purpose of enriching artistic language. In this and other manners, Sharifs art would become uniquely linked to middle-eastern imagery through a distinctive choice of subject matter. In the same spirit, the artist carried out the Recording Stones performance in which he is photographed collecting stones of various sizes only to toss them away, in a systematic and orderly fashion, in his Throwing Stones piece. After each summer break, Sharif would fly back to London and make sure to take full advantage of his school environment. This period is characterised by his determination to immerse himself in a multitude of artistic experiences. In performances such as Removing Cement Blocks (1983, page 150), he continued to explore the grid structure, following the systematic way, by removing and putting back squares marked in alphabetical order. His activities can be seen as an ongoing search for perspective-changing variables. For instance, in Washing Corridor (1983, page 133), he used the sense of smell as a component in the performance. Another way he chose to exercise his evolving creative vision was to elect unconventional places for conducting artistic discussion. Conversation in Toilet (1983, page

134) took place between Sharif and his tutor Jerry Hunt in separate cubicles inside a rest room. Two other performances that shed light on his evolving personality are Hair & Milk Bottle (page 154 and Staircase (page 157), both from 1984. Patent in these performances are the use of the body as a means of expression and the focus on matters of a more intimate nature. In Staircase, the artist simply walked from the top to the bottom of the staircase, and with each round left one piece of clothing until he was naked. He then continued the same route, during which he picked his clothes back up. In Hair & Milk Bottle (1984), the task was a bit more laborious since the artist pulled a pubic hair out of his pants and then tried to throw it into the milk bottle. After he succeeded in doing so, he closed the bottle. Both performances exposed a totally new side of Sharif, which in some ways did not come as a surprise; it proved his ability to venture into tough territories for arts sake. He gives the exhibitionistic and the vulnerable an interesting voice, especially in Staircase which appears to be Sharifs version of Shigeko Kubotas Duchampiana: Nude Descending a Staircase (1976) in which the descending nude from Kubotas performance-based video sculpture is replaced by an undressing, descending man. Following her early performances, Kubota began a pioneering career in video art and installation. As for Sharif, he remained interested in performance but never ventured into video. The thrust of Sharifs performances in 1983 and 1984 can be categorised in four, if not five, stylistic groups: minimalist actions performed in a desert; performances that are uniquely linked to Sharifs own semi-system drawings; performances that deconstruct conventional meanings; performances where the artists body is the medium of expression; and miscellaneous acts undertaken for the sake of random experimentation. Sharif had been markedly prolific in this very short period of time. In retrospect, his art can be seen as a fusion of post-avant-garde practice with middle-eastern iconography and spirituality.

Return to Dubai : Al Marijah Art Atelier and Return to Painting (19841986)

Towards the end of Sharifs last academic year, The Byam Shaw School of Art recommended that he continue his studies and enrol in a post-graduate programme. For a while, he was undecided, mulling over this option of prolonging his studies and his stay in Britain. This was a difficult time for him. At length, he had to face up to the question of how it may be possible, if at all, for him to carry on his career as a contemporary artist, on the one hand, and an Emirati artist, on the other. But, in the end, there was no possibility for him to obtain another scholarship, so he decided to return home. On his arrival in Dubai, armed with a strong conviction to continue making art and to galvanise contemporary art in the UAE, Sharif was arguably the first, if not the sole, truly contemporary art representative in the region. From the very start, he realised that he could not simply work on art in isolation; the circumstances demanded that he should cultivate an audience, make friends and new intellectual connections, and create a platform for the creation, discussion and teaching of art. Towards the end of 1984, he approached the Department of Culture and Information at the Government of Sharjah, and requested a free space where art can be shown, taught and generated. The authorities granted him an empty building to be refurbished

into an art atelier. Meanwhile, Sharif was making some friends among the intellectuals, most of whom, not surprisingly, were writers and poets.The activities of the artists in the atelier included intense discussions, cooking and some night life a lifestyle that mirrored to some degree the living art approach in London, where part of the creative process was based on the informal interaction of intellectuals and artists spending time together and discussing mutual interests until early morning hours. The establishment of the Al Marijah Art Atelier in Sharjah was a remarkable moment, one of great significance, since the Atelier was the first of its kind in the history of cultural institutions in the UAE, and even more remarkable because the one individual who was running it had such a cosmopolitan outlook that was Sharif. The artist understood that he had to be methodical, for the cultural environment in the UAE at that time posed a variety of challenges. His potential audience knew virtually nothing about art and the educational level of the average person did not support any deep-level exchange. The very first exhibition Sharif organised in his homeland took place at the Souq Al Markazi (Central Market) in Sharjah in 1984. It was a group exhibition showing artwork by both artists and poets. But the show lasted only for a few hours because Sharif did not obtain a permit from the Sharjah Municipality. For the next exhibition, he chose to use Al Marijah Atelier itself. In January 1985, in collaboration with another artist, Abdul Rahim Salem, Sharif presented a One Day Exhibition or A Street Art Exhibition as it was referred to later in the Khaleej Times newspaper of January 12. Reportedly, there were very few visitors, but the display was hailed as a group show pioneering a new trend. The actual exhibition was presented on the outside walls of the building. An installation of hanging stones was attached to the wall of the atelier and a neighbouring house. Another exhibit included an assembly of geometrical drawings and systematic calculations, placed on the ground leading to the house. All the objects used were made of readily available materials, such as string, rope and stones. They were placed in the public realm to emphasise the fact that they were created for everyone on the street to see. This was a valid way to draw attention, distract and, in some ways, confront people with something unfamiliar. On the side, fellow artists and writers viewing the project undertook discussions about the style, context and meaning of the exhibits. In fact, Al Marijah Art Atelier brought together a fine group of artists and poets, including Khalid Bader (poet), Nujoom Al-Ghanem (poet), Hussain Sharif (an artist Hassans younger brother), Abdul Rahim Salem (artist), Najeeb Maraboti and Yousuf Khalil (playwright). Meanwhile, Sharif was actively producing new art, and with a new focus at that. Since his return to the UAE, he had stopped working on performance art and decided to go back to painting. He was aware that his art could play a much more important role in the region, since his background predisposed him to be a gateway into contemporary art and theory. Notwithstanding the lack of financial means, Sharif published Al Ramad (Ashes) an art periodical that first appeared in 1984. It consisted of 20 typed pages in which visual artists and poets pitched poetic texts and abstract geometry drawings. To emphasise that this first contemporary art and poetry publication was modern, advocating artistic diversity and 20th-century thought, a piece of chewing-gum paper was attached to the upper right-hand corner of the front page. This page made a strong statement about the aesthetic and theoretical direction of the authors, who were clearly referencing 20th-century avant-garde attitudes and aesthetics with a small dose of pop art. 50 51

The publication was distributed to the UAE Fine Arts Society, the Emirates Writers Union and local newspapers, proclaiming the existence of an intellectual entity interested in discussing art and poetry in a non-traditional, cosmopolitan artistic language. The introduction of such a forward discourse clearly posed a problem for some conservatives as well as traditional intellectuals and non-intellectuals. At the time, conservatives wanted to pursue and protect what they called a genuine Emirati form of expression which was a yet to be defined notion. Quite roughly, the phrase meant that traditional aesthetics and subject matter, like calligraphy-based artwork and desert landscape representations, ought to remain a strong point of reference. Or, as Sharif quips, just horses and camels. Sharif was conscious of these concerns, but he also had a clear understanding of his own identity, calling himself a nomad, with a soul closely tied to the desert and a heart having a permanent bond with all the great artists of the 20th century. In April 1985, he mounted a second exhibition at Souq Al Markazi in Sharjah, the same place that played host to the short-lived first exhibition. This time, Sharif obtained permission, and he presented a display of contemporary art by a small group of artists from the UAE. Reactions, as expected, were mixed. Some were very critical simply because the art consisted of too unfamiliar objects: an installation of stones wrapped in yellow and red cloths, for instance; or a two-part geometrical abstraction painting, which was a perfect depiction of the checkerboard permutation of black and white cubes, whose order was calculated in the systematic way. Most members of the audience saw this diptych as an unusual-looking type of checkerboard. No further description or explanation was put forth. Sharifs strategy was to show something familiar in an unfamiliar manner a bit of play with the uncanny. The painting, for example, was not presented hanging on the wall but lying on the floor, as if it were a tabletop. The artist had positioned four bottles of water on top of one side of it; the other side became a tray. Many viewers said the show had too much of a western flavour and bemoaned the absence of traditional elements, while younger visitors, more curious by nature, were rather open to the unfamiliar and asked the artist questions about process and intention. Whatever the feedback, the prime importance of this event was its ability to instigate a dialogue and make people think, Sharif notes. While he encountered a great deal of resistance and felt a growing sense of frustration, he was also gratified by the fact that he had managed to form a circle of intellectuals whose mutual interests and beliefs allowed for artistic statements to be conveyed to the general public and cultural institutions in the UAE.To some extent, the work done at and by Al Marijah Art Atelier counterbalanced the existing challenges. Sharif continued to create new art and the atelier became a space for site-specific artworks. Art was everywhere: in the bathroom, on a kitchen wall, even in the doorway. The wall space was especially appreciated because, at this time, Sharif started painting again and the years 1984 and 1985 will see the genesis of a notable series of his abstract and geometrical paintings. The new series consisted of two different groups of abstractions. In one group, he built a visual field by applying layers of colours in different manners. He covered the previously painted geometrical composition of four squares with what was almost a see-through layer. In the next painting, he would continue the process by applying a white layer with uneven strokes, dividing the visual field into horizontal rectangles. The third painting would be an intensified version of the second one, while the fourth

would be painted over in a thinner layer. Sharif continued these formal explorations in a number of works in which the layering process would be based on the sequences of two or three alternating colours Blue, Yellow and Red (1984) and Gray (1985), or the intensity and the length of lines would vary so that the end effect would oscillate between abstraction and a quasi construction of geometrical forms. He was using oil paint and adding zinc as a thickener in order to create more of an impasto coat and a haptic quality for his paintings. There were a variety of nuances that Sharif seemed to be preoccupied with in these paintings: the issue of covering and revealing was one of them. A number of his works had colour or geometrical form as part of the underlying layer which would then be either covered completely or partially, giving a different sense of depth to the image Waves (1984). He also used pigments with a distinctive approach, hiding and exposing different colours based on their compositional association. The second issue appears to be revolving around the application of a top layer itself, and its structural role in the rhythm of the visual field Triangles. Some works focused on the geometrical figure, in which systematic strategy was used to create the mlange of colours, as in Yellow-Red-Blue (1984), or to fashion the structure of the artwork, as in More Than Ten Squares (1984). At this time, Sharif also created a distinctive series of large-format monochromatic abstractions and geometrical ones. This series illustrates his quest to simplify the use of materials needed to create art. The majority of the paintings were made with clear paint, white powder zinc and double boiled linseed oil, which resulted in pale, monochromatic impasto surfaces. The forms were very simple, and the texture and layering of the monochromatic paint was one of the main qualities in these non-geometrical abstractions Desert A (1985) and Desert B (1985). Some of the geometrical abstractions dealt, in one part, with the texture and, in another, with the presentation of the figure on a flat surface Cross (1984) and Cross (1985). A key element was the distance between the edges of the figures and the edges of the painting. This approach was devised to compose a geometrical figure within the visual field. Each edge of the figure was distanced clockwise, starting from the uppermost edge 1, 2, 3, 4 cm, respectively; the painting was depicting a diamond Two Squares (1985). Sharif used the same formula of clockwise order in a more complex work, Four Shapers (1985), where not only the different texture but the addition of a second colour as well helped to diversify the foreground and background. The visual field was divided into four equal squares, with a different geometrical figure in each. A predetermined distance between the edges of the square and the painted geometrical figures played a key role in establishing a structure for the composition. The artist painted one more picture using this formula Black and White (1984). And, all in all, this new series also retained the spirit of experimentation within the constructive process. At his stage, Sharif was determined to engage in a larger creative dialogue and share all his knowledge and passion for contemporary art and thought. He was mindful of the fact that post-war art, specifically, demanded a non-inhibited approach to all aspects of life. He was equally aware that any audience, including a western one, would at one point or another have difficulty grasping certain concepts. So, even if a certain majority of middle-eastern viewers proved unwilling or incapable of appreciating contemporary art, the artists standpoint was that the process of reversing that attitude would have to take root eventually, and it might as well start with him. Therefore, just as he made a geometrical abstraction series, he proceeded to creating a type of assemblages, interactive two-dimensional works on canvas and board.

He was trying to show that it is possible to render complex contemporary thought with basic material. This interactive, conceptual series of two-dimensional artworks on canvas and on board touched upon another critical aspect, which can be described as dialogue-building art. These works illustrated how the artist has a role to play when it comes to addressing sensitive topics, including ones of a sexual and sensual nature. In fact, one of Sharifs broader goals has been to teach the audience to interact with art when confronted with it. In 1984, he made Red and Blue (page 257), a geometrical composition in which the upper part of the canvas was painted white and the lower strip was painted red. What is unusual is that the artist attached two pieces of white linen, both square-shaped, which he then juxtaposed, one on the upper white background, and the other on the red surface. In the middle he has attached a cloth that was tied into a little knot. The viewers were encouraged to untie the knot and look inside. In 1985 he had constructed two other works. The first one consists of an unprimed canvas to which he attached a large number of knots for people to untie and which he called Wedding-A (1985, page 256). The second one, Wedding-B (page 256), was constructed on a board with two pieces of linen attached on both sides. There was a flap on the left-hand side, which everyone was invited to lift and see what was underneath. The piece was designed to create an uncomfortable sense of curiosity, hesitation and, finally, confusion mixed with shame. The title of the work clearly allowed the imagination to run unrestricted, so the viewers would confront their own thoughts and curiosity. But, to be sure, Bakh Bakh (1985) was the most explicit piece, making a clear allusion to the act of putting a hand into a womans underwear. A mixed-media work on a painted surface, it has a cloth attached to it along the lower part of the visual field, allowing for the visitor to put their hand in it. This was also a two-dimensional work, related to a three-dimensional piece made at the same time called Table (page 204). In the latter, Sharif had attached soft cotton bolls underneath an ordinary table, creating a thick padded surface. Visitors were meant to experience a sensual sensation evoked through the process of bending and touching the cotton. The motion of reaching ones hand underneath was forced by the structure of the art piece. These works were a simple acknowledgment of the fabric of life. There was a provocative aspect to them, but, ultimately, it was an invitation to non-inhibited participation and discussion. Sharifs aim was to help formulate individual independent opinion, and using sexual allusions was a way of breaking the taboo. For him, this breakthrough was a necessary step towards embracing contemporary thinking. Admittedly, these pieces served their purpose well during the 1985 Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Exhibition, which took place in Abu Dhabi. They were initially rejected, not for content (as it was totally overlooked) but for being made in an unfamiliar medium. Since none of them was the traditional oil on canvas, the pieces ended up in storage, and only after Sharifs intervention were they put back on display. While the organisers did not really grasp conceptual art, the interaction with the audience went actually well. Sharif led a small discussion group during the exhibition and, again, interest was much greater among the younger viewers. The outcome was generally positive. However, late in 1985, a dramatic setback occurred. A trivial argument with a taxi driver blocking the street near the Atelier evolved into a major dispute. As a result, the city authorities decided to close the Al Marijah Art Atelier, considering it a source of disorderly behaviour. But Sharif found a solution rather quickly. He turned to the Emirates Fine Arts Society in Sharjah with a proposition. He asked the association, which was headquartered

in a villa with a garage, to make the latter space available for him to use as a studio and an exhibition platform, and they agreed. One of the first exhibitions he wanted to hold was an installation for which he was requesting one million dirhams from the Department of Culture and Information in Sharjah. This was the equivalent of $274,000. The installation required a large new truck and a huge ditch, which had to be dug out at the corner of the street where the Al Marijah Art Atelier used to be. The truck was to be driven and buried in the trench, and a small plaque erected next to it, commemorating the Atelier and shaming those who were behind its closure. The idea was drawn up on large sheets of paper, with relatively detailed geometrical sketches pinpointing the exact location for the burial and directions for digging and burying the vehicle. The work would symbolise the waste and misuse of something new, modern and useful. Sharif exhibited drawings of the project in his new studio. Since these projects usually consisted of sketches and further complex calculations or charted systematic procedures, the artist kept them all as documentation. The next project was called Drum (Barrel) (1985). Inspiration for it came from the many barrels that the police used on busy roads in the area to prevent drivers from going off-road to beat the traffic. A set of drums and the road traffic became the framework for a very elaborate analysis based on the numbers and colours of the cars. The outcome of these calculations was a physical object, a full-size 159-litre barrel (oil drum), which Sharif made from cardboard, paper and paint. The whole process was based on predetermined rules and the complex systematic approach characterised by a multiplicity of steps and determinants. This project was vividly redolent of Sharifs earlier experimentations in which systematic matrices and physical settings served as the main structures for the creation of an artwork. What happened now was that the physical object and its presentation were set in a studio. As pointed out earlier, Sharif was using the systematic process without letting himself be totally dependent on it. Interestingly, his strategies began to question the system while indeed applying it. Here, the artist seemed to be operating on two levels one that was more in tune with the systematic structure, and another that was taking issue with it. Wooden Column (1985) puts this in a wider perspective. Sharif designed a set of ten wooden columns, using a process that determines their structure. Then he devised a system of calculation based on the 1, 2, 3 digit-set and its permutation to specify the colours that will be used to paint the columns. The colourful columns were originally meant to become a playground, an interactive space for audiences of different ages, namely children, to come and spend time. The calculations were intended to govern the creation of colour combinations as well as suggest ways of expanding the structural role of the columns. The project evolved, with the calculations yielding certain results in terms of colour and arrangement that Sharif preferred to do away with, until the whole piece was finally and surprisingly reduced to a single column. Thus, amid the elaborate fusion of calculations and randomness, the artist deliberately settled for something much simpler and smaller. Wooden Column, just like Drum (Barrel), was photographed in the doorway of the Emirates Fine Arts Society. It had a very literal, yet deeply symbolic, meaning. On the one hand, it looked exactly like a column that one would use to reserve a space in the car park; on the other, the column seemed to make a statement about Sharif actually reserving his space in art history.

It must be noted here that, when these works were presented, few people were supportive. None other than the artists closest allies tried to participate and widen their knowledge through the gateway he had provided. As a result, he grew impatient and became even more uncompromising in his manner of being an artist and a promoter of contemporary art. The 1986 Emirates Fine Arts Society Annual Exhibition brought with it even less understanding and less support. Disputes arose with the members of the UAE Writers Union as well as with the members of the Emirates Fine Arts Society, from which he was simply removed.

Objects Urban Archaeology: The Beginning (19821998)

Every time Sharif would come back home from London on a school break, he would be moved by the formal, aesthetic and iconographical influences of the surrounding environment. Inevitably, the immediate neighbourhood landscape of Hatta as well as the customs of the area found their place in his performances. The artists interest in the commonplace and the banal, and his fascination with ordinary objects had its source in his readings and his belief in the Duchampian art philosophy. But it was also strongly influenced by the much more recent Fluxus movement, which officially lasted from 1961 until 1978, and had a peripheral continuity for years later. Fluxus encouraged a very simple aesthetic of using the cheapest material, aiming to make art accessible by making it ordinary and something anybody can do. Fluxus owed its philosophical inspiration to Duchamp, through John Cage. Without Cage, Marcel Duchamp and Dada, Fluxus would not exist, Ben Vautier, one of the Fluxus artists, once said. These philosophical influences consolidated Sharifs sensibility, though he had to face the drastic scarcity of materials necessary for art-making in Sharjah and Dubai at that time. Luckily both the physical reality and the artistic philosophy coalesced. Thus, many of his visual and formal references were linked to his country and the Gulf region as well as to contemporary art concepts and theories. These influences permeated Sharifs art, echoing John Cages opinion that in this way art becomes important as a means to make one aware of ones actual environment. Art also has its purposeful purposelessness, Cage decreed, and Sharif agreed wholeheartedly. The beginning of the creation of the set described as Objects coincided with Sharifs trips to Souq Al Markazi (Central Market) in Sharjah. What the artist would encounter as he strolled casually in the crowd was not unfamiliar, since he was born and raised in the region. But it all started to speak to him differently after his stint in London. The shapes, the form of display and the variety of articles strongly piqued his sense of creativity. He looked at all these products under a fresh light, as if stripping them of their once all-too-familiar meaning. He started producing small heaps of each kind of object and soon there were as many kinds as nature and his own memories provided. The earliest single object made in 1982 was a rope knotted in four different ways. He photographed each variant of the knots to document them. This was only a minor step compared to what would later occur. In 1984, he began to use material in large quantities; natural materials for the most part, the simplest and easiest ones to find in the area.

For example, he used cloth torn into many strips to form a pile Cloth & Rope (1984), and rolled and wrapped with cotton many newspapers to form an indiscriminate bunch Newspaper 2 (1984). He also plaited rolled newspapers like hair to form a bundle Newspaper 1 (1984). He used a number of materials with opposite haptic qualities, placing twisted silk wire in one stack, cotton rope or jute in another. Sometimes a thread and a needle were used to stitch things or glue to hold pieces together. A large piece of jute was cut into squares, which were glued together in pairs Jute and Glue (1985). In other cases, thick string was tied around cotton rope to form a round shape or to support a structure Coir (1986) and Coir & Cotton Rope (1986). Cutting and tying together, cutting and binding, assembling, these were some of the main procedures applied to the material. They did not require any special skills, and deliberately so. And, although only much later would Sharif start using readymades, the implication that these objects could be made by anybody was already there; it was in fact close to Duchamps philosophy. Fine artists are no different from any other classes of people who make things, Duchamp maintained. And Sharif continued on this path, supporting art by presenting it as easy to make and accessible to all. Objects are described by Sharif as illustrations of meaninglessness, mirroring banality through their physical appearances. Throughout their existence, they have been part of the visual fabric; moreover, they have been part of the visual landscape and are forever included in memory as an integral part of imagination. Some of them, however, are not entirely anonymous as, through their visual properties, they conjure up actual recollections. Such objects are found in this very group of artworks; these are the objects directly connected to Sharifs childhood. The process of making them was crucially informed by the artists memory. Using papier-mch as in Paper, Cartons & Glue (1986) and Paper & Glue (1986) , Sharif formed shapes resembling biscuits and pastries that his father, a baker, used to make. Distant memory was fused with the newly re-discovered environment of the market. The artistic vision, which resulted in the creation of objects from organic material in shapes and sizes emulating foods and spices, brought back a very personal childhood memory Wooden Bar & Cotton Rope (1985) and Jute-Cloth and Rope (1985). In 1986, Sharif began using peripheral industrial materials. In one case, he took strips of paper and stapled them together in large quantities and then piled them up. In another, he stuffed plastic bags with punctured cardboard paper along with the small paper dots taken out from the office paper punch. What differentiated this group from the objects created earlier was the set of tools used to make them: a stapler and a paper punch. The activity remained repetitive and anonymous, yet these tools were from a different world, not a food and spice market. The artwork now had an urban, industrial imprint. Sharif claims that all his objects are simply things that lost their initial identity in the process of being converted into artworks. Yet, even though they become these nameless, abstract items, they still retain a resemblance of the actual identifiable objects. What the artist really managed to capture was a visual landscape in one of its stages of transformation. While he was still commuting to Sharjah, the emirate just north of Dubai, the region had been undergoing massive changes, not just architecturally, but also in terms of consumer culture. UAE society was absorbing a plethora of products made from a variety of synthetic materials. So, although Sharif concentrated in the beginning on the use of natural fabrics,

synthetic materials later became integral components of his artwork. Starting in the late 1980s and, more so, in the second half of the 1990s, he took to making objects from plastic or fragments of destroyed domestic items including cut slippers and cut and rolled pieces of blankets. In one artwork, the artist used a plastic rope, cut-up and tied together to create a collection of small colourful pieces. In another, he cut the carpet into many small pieces and bound each piece with a strip of jute. The familiar natural shapes began in some cases to morph into industrial look-alike objects. In other cases, although some were made from synthetic components or elements of destroyed domestic appliances, they still resembled the foods or spices found at the market. Like a cultural anthropologist, Sharif created an interesting synthesis of the visual landscape, as seen through the prism of an influx of objects amid a quickly changing lifestyle. Some of his works revealed another deeply symbolic layer. A small collection of objects created between 1995 and 1996 do not appear to be different from the others, yet their making stands as a portrayal of sexual restrictions and frustrations. A set of these objects continued the theme of the mid-1980s paintings focusing on aspects of eroticism and sex life. However, the tone of the earlier works was very different. In the paintings, there was an overwhelming spirit of exploration, an impatient pursuit of pleasure. But the objects, created only ten years later, reveal the gloomy side of erotic life, emphasising constraint. For example, objects made from jute and wire and cotton and wire represent phallic shapes tightly bound by wire. The pent-up frustration, reaching the point of pain, is illustrated in this harsh manner. The portrayal of an unrealised pleasure turning into pain calls to mind a more symbolic representation of firmly controlled self-expression and suppressed intimate articulation. Sharif worked also on the different manifestations of restraint as induced by the disparate psychological paradigms of the male and the female. For example, in 1995, he created a small heap of rolled, elongated strips of cotton bound in plastic. The objects were assembled to look like tampons whose use was prevented by tight synthetic encasing. In another creation, he put together sharp silk-wire sheaths filled with cotton, made to resemble sanitary pads. Previously, he had never really displayed any type of vulnerability in his works. But this particular collection clearly talks about suffering and does it in such a drastic manner as if the artist wanted to reveal an extra symbolic layer, a new hidden meaning, in the objects to expose a cruel side of life. Found material, says Sharif, usually retains the history of the previous owners, revealing a glimpse into peoples lives. In other words, the anonymous meaninglessness became somehow infused with the tangible history of real people and the actual transformation of the region. In 1987, Sharif stopped commuting to Sharjah after the UAE Ministry of Education approved his idea of establishing an Art Atelier in the Youth Theatre and Arts in Dubai. From here onwards he will be integrating more found ready-mades in the making of his objects.

Objects and Paintings Urban Archaeology: The Mature Period (19992010)

In 2000 Sharif decided to start painting again. The medium of oil on canvas had lost its appeal for him in 1981, but now became an appropriate means of expression at the turn of the millennium.

At first it was the plants at home that caught the artists attention. Just a few very colourful still-lifes executed between 2000 and 2001 mark this phase. In the meantime, he continued making objects. All of the objects made after 1999 are anchored in the consumer culture of the late 20th century and early 21st century. Time appears to be flowing differently in this new collection, compared to the earlier ones that emulated the shapes and textures of spices and foods from the market. Since earlier assemblages were visually connected to the universal the centuriesold environment of the market they were static, their portrayal more classic. In the last decade, Sharifs artistic focus has been on the most contemporary aspects of material culture, including packaging, broken home appliances, and other useless and anonymous things. The vastness of this new archaeological layer provided a fertile ground for his artistic development. Echoing the Duchampian absurdity of life which is characterised by an affinity for the least desirable ready-made articles as potential artworks was an important point of departure in this new body of work. You have to approach something with indifference, as if you had no aesthetic emotion, the choice of ready-mades is always based on visual indifference and, at the same time on the total absence of good or bad taste, Duchamp had decreed.(2) Sharif focused on the least appealing, which is especially noticeable in his works between 1999 and 2004. Almost all objects created in this period were made from packaging material, cardboard boxes designed to contain food and other commercial products Cardboard, Cloth & Glue 1 (2000). Some of them were rolled and bound with thick string, others flattened and tied or punctured so the string would hold them together in an alternate way. In some cases, the binding string would be replaced with a piece of cloth, a colourful fragment whose distinctive look would add an almost cheerful touch to the heap of grey cardboard. In all instances, the works would be piled together to basically look like rubbish. Sharif has not been afraid to mimic the massive piles of the lowest-rank objects in his bid to underline a simple truth about the contemporary visual landscape: mass production and frenetic consumerism. Fresh waste that is not yet disintegrated or fragmented is employed in some of his creations as a way of following the development of the culture in real time. This strategy becomes even more significant in the context of a changing street life in the UAE. In the lead-up to the 2005 Sharjah International Art Biennale, just before the opening of the show, Sharifs objects made of glued cardboard were placed in front of the Art Museum at the Art Square. But street cleaners removed them soon afterwards, mistaking the artwork for piles of garbage. Just as mundane objects appear to be invisible, artwork made to look ordinary sometimes becomes itself invisible. At first glance, Sharif may seem to be adhering to the Duchampian school of thought, choosing with a measure of dispassion items that did not have any specific aesthetic role. However, once we become more familiar with Sharifs genuine interest in the hidden life of objects, we start to develop a better grasp of the wider artistic context of his works. The artist has always been sensitive to the potential memory contained in an object. For him, ordinary cardboard, for instance, with its wear-and-tear history, reveals past interactions with other people and thus holds tiny bits and pieces of other lives as if the magic of past energy would linger in these inanimate objects. This type of sensitivity actually connects Hassan Sharif with the American artist Robert Rauschenberg and his series of cardboard-based works. In the 1950s,

Rauschenberg realised that the street life of New York, fraught with discarded objects, was a vital source of elements which, put together, would make the building blocks of a new, contemporary sculptural language. Found objects, along with urban debris, were the key components in his art. He accepted their wear-and-tear nature as something inherent and natural. Rauschenbergs motivation in rummaging through New York City garbage lay in his need to do something other than what he could do himself. He wanted to use the surprise and the collectiveness and the generosity of finding surprises. In his artistic work, the object itself was changed by its context and therefore it became a new thing. In the case of Hassan Sharif, ordinary objects remain ordinary and are meant to serve only one purpose: to depict simplicity and illustrate the manifestation of the contemporary within the collective environment. Between 2005 and 2009, Sharif readjusted his focus. Although street life remained an important source of the materials, forms and readymade objects he worked with, he started reaching deeper into his domestic environment. This was a gradual process, and the works between 2005 and 2007 exemplify this smooth transition. Along with objects like the roped-together glue containers, Plastic Containers and Rope (2005), he continued to make cardboard-based work. He also started to integrate found domestic items in large quantities, fashioning smashed-up food containers, punctured and bound trays (page 219) and fragments of towels stuffed in a destroyed bucket (page 217). Next, smaller items tied in more intricate manners began to emerge: pieces of cutlery, silver knives and forks stringed together with black wire as if in a black cloud Spoons and Cable (2006) (page 218). The same degree of intensity was applied to a heap of colourful plastic funnels and cups tied together to aluminium food containers. Occasionally, a small pile of objects made of cartons wrapped up in cloth would be made to appear as a familiar arrangement of food packages Cardboard and Cloth (2007) (page 219). Worthy of particular note among all these representations are the collection of stainless steel dishes, bound rubber baskets and creased up (into different shapes) aluminium trays called Four Bright & Three 555 Five, Made in China (2007). It is hard to say in this particular instance whether the respective paintings influenced the objects or if the objects inspired Sharif to paint large-scale works. In his next series of paintings, the centrepiece of the canvas would be a single chair or a lone table, a plunger, a toilet bowl, a brush or a pair of pliers. In fact, Sharif repeatedly produced hammers, teacups and bowls in painting. Compared to his three-dimensional objects, those portrayed on canvas looked new; painted intact, as if presented at their best. It was also in 2008 that the artist spotlighted single three-dimensional objects, rendered almost in the way of painterly still-life studies. The common thread here is that they were all broken or punctured, and all bound with a copper wire: for example, a single brush bound with a copper wire, a small hammer treated in the same way, an aluminium sieve, a small plastic shovel (page 223), and so forth. Instead of resorting to large fragments, whether in paintings or in sculptural objects, Sharif preferred here to work with one discrete, often totally damaged, article as if the narrative behind it was reduced to a single word. Throughout that year, the making of this series of single objects was intertwined with the creation of industrial assemblages. In Classic 2 (2008); Classic 555 (2008); Archipelago (2008) (page 224), among others, it is the collective memory and the collective present that were being symbolically subsumed under one object or under a group of mass-produced, discarded and

found three-dimensional items. In 2008 still, Sharif created a series of paintings in which a human figure, or a number of figures, seem to be surrounded by a collection of objects of the same kind. In one picture we see a footballer and a bunch of balls; in another we have a figure of a cricketer surrounded by bats; and, in what seems to be a more symbolic attempt, there is one painting representing a group of friends and foreign visitors, with many small airplanes floating around them, while a lone figure of man is surrounded by tea cups. Sharif points to the fact that, as human beings, we are surrounded at all times by things we may deem indispensable. Among the artworks dealing with this topic are Sharifs boxes, which had been an evolving theme since 1983. In that year, the artist made a wooden box into which he placed pieces of paper, cut into strips another product of his treasured systematic calculations. When he created this box in the 1980s, his aim was to chart the development of art, while 25 years later, his aim was to chart urban history. In both instances, the reason for the creation of the box was very much in keeping with the artistic ideas of George Maciunas, the originator of Fluxus, who was obsessed with documenting both. The key characteristic of the boxes is their scale: the artwork consists of a smallhandful of items tied together in a familiar manner; objects such as bottle caps, cut pieces of rubber and cloth, bits of plastic, clothespins and even shredded socks. Each kind is tied together and each bundle is attached to a handmade cardboard box that resembles a mini-chest for jewellery or other precious items. A wide-open box shows these objects in a more intimate manner. Displayed thus, the contents of the box appear to be more valuable, potentially even rarer than other objects. Yet they are of the same nature, the same mass-produced fragments of the visual landscape. Sharifs work in this style came well after Robert Rauschenberg and almost a decade earlier than the work of the acclaimed artist Thomas Hirschhorn. Since the 1990s, Hirschhorn has been known for his hyper-saturated installations showcasing an over-consumption and shopping-driven culture. Hirschhorn uses common materials, amassing everything pell-mell, while Sharif structures his heaps of objects in categories. While Hirschhorns installations are like manifestos commenting on saturated visual landscapes, Sharif for his part emphatically maintains: My work has no manifesto. Yet both have an equally strong voice. What is striking is how differently and skilfully both artists navigate through masses of similar, familiar, low-rank objects in their way of bearing witness to the human condition at the beginning of 21st century. Sharif appears to be more site-specific, though, drawing his inspiration from the evolving landscape of the Gulf area, while Hirschhorn takes on the whole western consumer culture. What brings them together is their total attraction to the inferior kind of mundane items, which for both are the most sincere and most representational things of our time. It is the rebellious qualities of these forms that drew both Hirschhorn and Sharif to them in the first place. While Sharif has been order-driven and less emotional compared to Hirschhorn, his determination and visceral approach parallel Hirschhorns intensity. Sharif resolvedly stands by his objects; for him, they are the vernacular aesthetics of everything that is useless, meaningless and artificial and they illustrate an important truth about the world we live in, as in the heap of cut and tied-up black TV wire. Sharif believes that every act from man is a political act. An artist is a realist by nature. So the function of my work of art is to say no to the authoritative orders, so I still feel and I consider myself as a realist.

Threads of his concern with the modern condition run through his objects and paintings and resonate as well in a particular series of acrylics on canvas: the landscape series, in which the artist portrays a cityscape in which roads are crammed with cars and the skylines are dense with skyscrapers and filled with TV satellite dishes, laying focus on the characteristic amorphousness and universality of traffic and telecommunication. On occasion, when dealing with human figures, the artist reverts to a narrative way of expression and a cartoonish style of representation. For example, when he depicts the serious political aspects of life, his style becomes simple, sketchy, flimsy and most of all caricature-like. In 2008, he created a series of paintings that take a deep look at the Press Conference as the epitome of the world of politics. In the style of his much earlier caricatures, he presents a satirical view of the world of commissioned stories and official statements. The paintings show the figure of a speaker, portrayed behind a wall of microphones, accompanied by an entourage. The series started in 2008; in 2009 the theme was diversified and the single speaker was replaced by a number of simultaneous spokespersons. The officials began looking more like ordinary people, eventually morphing into a grey crowd of sad faces. At the end of 2009, his Press Conference series was shown in a solo exhibition in 1X1 Gallery, Dubai. The series is about politicians all over the world. They are self-centred people, full of false promise, saying we will do this and that, we make your dream come true and so on, Sharif notes. The ambiance of the news conference seems to deteriorate from one canvas to another. But Sharifs pice de rsistance is his humorous and surprising denouement piece, called After Press Conference No. 4. Many years ago I had seen a cow eating a newspaper, he says. In follow-up I made an object, which consists of glued and roped together newspapers representing cows manure. There are some tomato seeds as well the whole group represents the ultimate outcome of the politicians press conference. In 2009, life in Dubai changed drastically. Due to the global economic downturn, tens of thousands of people lost their jobs and began to leave the city. The real estate market was hit hard, tourism was significantly affected and the high times seemed to be over. This prompted Sharif to work on another series: he painted cockroaches to express the sudden wave of gloom around him. They are all smiling, because the recession is here, Sharif observes. The illustration of an empty faucet spilling the cockroaches effectively echoed the unhappy news. The complexity of our modern times has always been a great source of inspiration in Sharifs art and he proved it once more with his 2009 creations. But it had also been a year of a personal loss for the artist, which added sorrow to the already grim mood looming over the city. Deeply affected by the death of a close friend, Jos Clevers, an art curator from Holland, Sharif built a multipart installation, using mixed mediums. E-mail-Homage to Jos Clevers (2009) includes a painted portrait of Clevers in addition to nine copper plates visual interpretations of emails exchanged with the members of The Flying House (displayed along with the transcript of some words on small pieces of paper) and a sculpture made out of found material delineating two human figures. A poignant story of friendship comes through the piece, with the interconnected groupings of elements contributing mixed layers of emotion. The following year Sharif created one of his largest sculptures to date. Entitled Cow Belly (2010), it is made from sheets of aluminium cut into pieces, rolled onto copper wire, and suspended from a very long iron beam to emulate a cows torso (page 229).

The movement of the torso, which is built from many parts, brings the animal vividly to life and echoes Sharifs earlier painting. Yet for the very first time the production was not executed by the artist himself, but by hired workers.

The Educator: Resetting the Mind New Thoughts on the Semi-Systematic Drawings; Retracing the Abstract and Geometrical Paintings (20062010)
In 1987, the UAE Ministry of Youth and Sports, in conjunction with the Ministry of Education, gave Sharif permission to open the Art Atelier an idea he had long entertained and pushed for in the Youth Theatre and Arts in Dubai. Upon hearing the news, Sharif took a moment to assess the three years he had spent until then promoting contemporary art at home. He had learned that Emirati society needed an extensive introduction to art and that his best audience was the younger generation. He also understood that he had to start cultivating art by explaining mediums and theories to his inexperienced students. So he began to teach in the morning and make art in his spare time, writing and discussing advanced contemporary issues after work. From 1988 on, the controversies around him abated and conservatives began to appreciate his efforts as an educator and a writer. Sharif devoted the next ten years to becoming one of the most progressive and influential art teachers and writers in the Gulf region. In 2006, the artist felt it was time to start re-thinking about and constructing within the systematic framework again. He began to elaborate a way of creating new semisystem drawings and geometrical paintings. Following the guidelines on his own extant sketches, Sharif started to reproduce drawings he had made before, labelling each of the new ones as 2nd Version, even though he would not change any part of the sequence or the outcome. But in 2008, he was advised to call Reconstituted all drawings executed in this fashion. In other cases, when he approaches the original idea of the drawing as a mere point of departure, he would actually create a second version proper. However, there are also examples of second-version drawings in which the sequence and the final presentation were similar to the original, but the proportion of the drawing was changed. Sharif also improvised fresh revisions, and this approach led to a new series of paintings throughout 2006 and 2007 and semi-system drawings from 2006 until 2010. Indeed, the year 2006 saw the genesis of the artists newer series of semi-system drawings in which the line its form and sequencing method was the main point of interest. In fact, the majority of drawings which Sharif produced that year showcased a whole range of lines, from horizontal to vertical, and from straight to wavy to semi-wavy and semi-straight. For instance, One-Two-Three-Four-II (2006) is strongly rooted in the systematic method of structuring the composition. Although the calculations in this piece are based on the permutation of the simple 1, 2, 3, 4 sequence, this time around as opposed to the drawings from the 1980s not only does the sequence of a line change according to the permutation, but the form of the line itself is affected. It is no longer a simple structural line; it now has a thicker profile in the middle. Visually, the whole structure gravitates towards a new artistic preference, which appears to be unveiling itself with each different work the artist made in this period. Another good example is Broken Horizontal Lines No. 3 1983, 2nd Version (2006) for which the point of departure was a piece dating back to 1983, but the framework mirrors other work dated 1984. The original calculation of October 13, 1984, was presented in the form of very elaborate sequencing of the semi-wavy and semi-straight

lines in the different columns. The complexity of the pattern was achieved through the introduction of varied lengths of wavy versus straight parts. The variation of these lines ended up making an intricate visual structure with endless possibilities of sequencing. The aesthetic outcome, although unintentional, was recognised by Sharif as an integral part of the drawing. The artwork thus gained retinal qualities, which was a complete novelty in the artists work. We can observe the development of this new approach in another work that appears to be a continuity of the theme of broken lines, for which the point of departure was the systematic calculation of October 13, 1984. Broken Horizontal Lines No. 4 1983, 2nd Version (2006) is a complex variation on semi-wavy and semi-straight lines, completed in four columns. The outcome is a pattern that shows two top columns mirroring one another, and two bottom columns as random variations of one another. The series entitled Brush and Indian Ink 1 & 2 1983, 2nd Version (2006) (page 162) offers another example of drawings in which the enriched aesthetic aspect of the line is an important resource for creating a diverse visual composition. The use of a thick brush while alternating strokes from left to right was a key manoeuvre in the sequencing of the composition. Broken brushstrokes were also applied, adding to a more diverse visual effect. The end composition now consists of two columns of brushstrokes that seem to be mirroring and alternating dialogue with each other. In From Right to Left and from Left to Right No. 1 1983, 2nd Version (2006), the outcome is even more complex since the final four columns are the base structure and the concluded artwork at once. The structuring between the lines appears to be built horizontally, creating four vertical columns of brushstrokes. The whole configuration seems to have one more aspect of evolution, though. As much as the echo of the systematic approach lingers in the rationality of the composition, the aesthetic aspect combined with the randomness and simple alternations of brushstrokes pushes the work into the realm of improvisation. What is also quite characteristic of these new series is that, from 2007 onwards, they are composed on multiple sheets of paper. The finished artwork hence consists of numerous drawings, structured by a sequence of brushstrokes in some cases, and by simple thin lines in others. One-2-four, No. 17, Part II 1984, 2nd Version (2007) is an instance of extremely complex permutations of lines, presented in seven parts (seven sheets of paper to show the progression). In this particular work, there appears a line that bears a strong similarity to ancient lettering. All in all, the familiar aesthetic of the same resemblance seems to be also present in the cycle of ink drawings called One to Twenty, Lines and Forms, No. 10 (2007) in which the four-line structure within the grid of 20 squares is rendered in 20 sheets. Another work, Classic No. 3 (2007) appears to be inspired by the same source, along with the 2008 Lines in Motion series. In many of Sharifs works on paper from that period, the final structure is the column or, as in many other instances, the final outcome is the variation of the lines situated in the grid. These are the two main composition features. What is notable is the repetitive process whereby small changes in the calculation effect considerable alterations in the pattern. Every now and then, Sharif manages to break through the framework by turning it into a new structural or aesthetic idea. But the biggest surprise emerged in the short series of brush and ink works in which the artist decided to use colour and devise a

way of alternating the pattern through yet another non-structural element. The introduction of colour in Yellow No.14 (2008) makes this series one of the few examples within the body of work of semi-system drawings where actual pigment is used. Sharifs application of yellow, green, red and empty space (as white) marks a very notable transgression towards an even more spontaneous approach and a move away from the confines of highly rationalised process. In 2009, however, the artist decided to take the opposite direction; he elected to use extremely complicated calculations and permutations for each piece. In order to support this process, he constructed a self-sustaining, open-ended structure designed to widen the scope of both. The work titled One-Two-Three No.15, (2009) is a case in point, exemplifying the use of tremendously elaborate steps, in which initial permutations involving angular lines led to the formation of a totally separate group of 18 matrices (One-Two-Three Part 3, 18 Matrixes). These matrices allowed for the creation of a great number of possibilities in many other groups of permutations the same year. Sharif divided the process into numerous sections and continued the creation of variations of angular lines. He mapped out a host of possibilities, from which he eventually chose one. Others were put aside to be revisited later. In reality, the artists whole take on the system and his creation of the semi-systematic strategy allowed him to navigate between rigorous calculations and random determinants, conferring on his work a distinctive style of controlled improvisation. Sharifs reworking of his semi-system drawings in 2006 boosted his interest in geometrical and abstract paintings too. His reawakened enthusiasm for constructing geometrical works on canvas fed on the visual properties of the brushstrokes (in the case of paintings) and line (in the case of drawings). Compared to his geometrical paintings of the 1980s, the brushstrokes now became shorter, more dynamic, and very rhythmical. The best example here is a series of works, each depicting one rhombus titled Rhomboid Form 1A, 1B & 1C 1983, 2nd Version (2006). They are all painted with acrylic so the surface is relatively smooth, and the brushstrokes have created elaborate patterns. The background strokes are painted in the opposite direction to the pattern of the rhombus, while the grey and black works have quasi op-art qualities. The white rhombus painted white on white appears flat. Sharifs structuring of the compositions through systematic calculations, added to the titles he chose for the works, are two indices that suggest a continuity of the series in the spirit of his geometrical works of the 1980s. Yet, what is different in this new group has more to do with mood and appearance. In the painting titled Rhomboid Form No. 10 1984, 2nd Version (2006) (Black on Light Gray sketch title) as well as in Rhomboid Form No. 4 1984, 2nd Version (2006) (White on Dark Gray), Sharif uses thicker lines and a thinner acrylic paint to create another interesting illusion, but this time with the haptic quality of the surface. The paintings appear to be executed with much more free-style brush work and the geometrical figures seem to be sinking in their backgrounds, an effect carried through in two other works on blue and brown canvas Rhomboid No. 03 (2007)w and Rhomboid No. 04 (2007). These two works somewhat seem to be blending with the background. This idea of blending will continue in a whole new series. Rhomboid No. 13 (2007) (Violet-Yellow-White) and Rhomboid No. 14 (2007) (Violet-Yellow-White) are examples of geometrical abstraction turned into perfect non-representational abstract paintings. In the centre of the composition, the rhomboids were totally over-painted with brushstrokes alternating between stronger and weaker. The artist sunk his

geometrical figures and annihilated the composition in both visual fields. What emerged can be described as perfect non-representational abstraction with an undisturbed surface. The sketches for both paintings show the existence of geometric rhomboidal structures beneath the layer of paint. The no-longer visible foreground of the works showed rhombi in a compositional dialogue one being positioned opposite the other. Here, it appears that one painterly style might have been converted into a different one. In fact, Sharif in these works clearly departs from the previously exercised formula which entailed the compositional structuring of the geometrical figures. Whereas the sketch points almost unequivocally to the series of geometrical paintings from 1985, the outcome is completely different. It seems like, as soon as he steps into a once-trodden terrain, Sharif is prompted to create a new result. One segment of the artwork, although repeated, may serve as a bare beginning only as if the very act of revisiting previously completed structures and compositions helps the artist reset his mind to this particular style. In other words, the resonance of the past has never prevented him from stepping into a totally uncharted territory. This whole process of inviting and filtering new ideas is also seen in a fairly large group of abstract paintings in which the artist relentlessly retraces the creation of the colour combination with predominant black, mixing blue and black, yellow and black and red and black Red + Black No. 10 (2007) Yellow + Black No. 11 (2007) in tightly painted lines. Each painting is accompanied by a preliminary sketch and bears a simple title One Painting No. 10 (2007) or One Painting No. 11 (2007). Within the same style, Sharif also undertakes the combination of three colours so that the permutation of the order of the yellow, red and blue, results in a different dominance of the single colour on the top layer (each time a different one). Lines are thick, designed to cover the ones underneath. And what emerges is a familiar pictorial abstract shimmering pattern but, again, the way it was painted bespeaks a different time and style. The idea of combining three colours continues in another sequence of paintings in which the visual field, divided in three, is painted solid in each rectangular portion of the canvas. The top layer of the over-painted lines, however, is meant to show rather than conceal the pattern underneath. The lines of the top layer are either white as in Painting No. 18, No. 19 and No. 20 (2007) or they are black, as in Painting No. 15 No.16 and No. 17 (2007). All these series illustrate the open-ended process through which the artist has been diligently reworking his original ideas. These works are similar, yet there is often one stylistic element that attests to the creation of their newer version and, on the part of Sharif, that usually engendered a re-adaptation of old sketches or the application of fresher modes of brushstrokes, revealing a much less rigorous painterly fabric. It was a significant artistic moment when, in 1985, Sharif stopped painting in this style. It seems that he needed to rethink and revisit the process all the way through and the timing and the circumstances became more favourable at last. The notion of the promise of the unexpected, which the artist discovered in the stricter systematic approach earlier the 1980s, continued to be attractive. But he needed to submerge himself in the style which he felt holds many variations of forms, in which he could bring to light and express more fully his ideas.

Writer and Teacher (1984present ) The Flying House (2007present )

Since 1987, Hassan Sharifs educational and writing activities have taken centre stage in his life, but he continued to make and exhibit his art, notwithstanding. From the time he returned to the UAE from Europe, Sharif had not travelled outside the country. Yet through assiduous readings of critical art publications, he still cultivates his knowledge and stays up-to-date with the developments of the international art scene. Since 1997, Sharif had been invited annually to sit on the jury of the Sharjah Biennale, the art festival that offered him a special award in 2003. With the larger openness that came with the growth of Dubai and its connections to contemporary life and culture, Sharifs art began to be noticed as a point of reference, a rare early example of contemporary art in the UAE. He is still at loggerheads with some conservatives and traditionalists, although he is himself perceived as a representative of the older generation of artists. What generation? one may rightly ask, for there were no others like him in his youth. He is one of a rare few, and arguably the only one so advanced. Now that his persistence has started to yield a long-deserved recognition in his home country and elsewhere, there is a growing conviction that his body of work must be appropriately displayed, preserved and encouraged to grow. Sharifs older brother, Abdul-Raheem, had always been supportive of the talent of his siblings Hassan and Hussain. Besides Sharifs efforts, Abdul-Raheems entrepreneurial and organisational acumen played a major part in the establishment of The Flying House, a not-for-profit art institution showing and promoting contemporary art from the UAE, including works by Hassan Sharif, Hussain Sharif, Mohammed Ahmed Ibrahim and Mohammed Kazem. The Flying House was founded in December 2007. This development is consistent with Sharifs continuous evolution and his ability to make the best out of available possibilities in order to advance his ongoing mission of implementing and promoting contemporary thought and art in the UAE. His extensive experience, which included managing Al Marijah Art Atelier in Sharjah and the Art Atelier in the Youth Theatre and Arts in Dubai, helped channel energy into this new important project. Abdul-Raheem was instrumental in securing the necessary infrastructure, location and funding for the establishment. In fact, he remodelled his own house to make sure this very special institution sees the light of day. His meticulous planning and admirable dedication in helping to preserve, show and promote the work of his brother Hassan, and that of the other member artists of The Flying House, were invaluable. Hassan Sharif found himself in a privately funded and family-owned art house, with a significant collection of his works, starting with art he made back in the early 1970s. From the kick-off, the institution adopted a museum-like approach to documenting, storing and showing artwork. The archives section that was set up on the premises offers easy-search options for curators and scholars wishing to study, or learn more about, Hassan Sharifs extensive body of work. With its infrastructural preparedness, enthusiasm and clear programming, The Flying House has attracted prominent national and foreign visitors, from the moment it opened its doors to the public in January 2008. The opening date of The Flying House fell between the first and second editions of Art Dubai, a landmark art fair in the region, which invigorated the flow of visiting collectors, art dealers, art critics and artists. The growing network of newly opened art galleries, which started springing up in the city at the turn of the 21st century, provided another positive aspect. In this new landscape, the institution has filled an important position by showcasing not only the beginning, but also the continuity, of contemporary

UAE art. The Flying House was designed to display contemporary art from the UAE with an emphasis on intellectually bolder forms of expression. Part of its raison dtre as well is to promote knowledge about contemporary artists in the UAE. Although the institution has never been guided by a manifesto, some of its member artists, namely Mohammed Ahmed Ibrahim and Mohammed Kazem, are devoted to in-depth explorations of contemporary theory and practice. Sharif met them in 1986 at the Emirates Fine Arts Society and, until today, remains an important influence in their lives. Mohammed Ahmed Ibrahim concentrates on ecological issues and society in his art, while Mohammed Kazem is regarded as one of the UAEs pioneers in video art and the adaptation of new technologies in artwork. He also took over the teaching at the Art Atelier in Dubai in 1999, when Sharif stopped leading the classes. Briefly, the programme at the Atelier consists of slideshows and discussions of works by well-known and emerging artists, publishing art-related catalogues and teaching curatorial practice. As an artist, educator and contemporary art promoter, Sharif held out against the hardest of circumstances of intellectual and artistic isolation in the mid-1980s. He found a smart way to channel and refine his artistic beliefs by contributing to the cultural growth of his country. He proved to be a great self-sustaining spirit. For all these years, the flame lighting that spirit has emanated from a lively, brazen creativity and a rock-solid faith in the humanistic power of contemporary art and thought. From his early beginnings, as a freshman student, he understood the notion of unity through diversity in the art world, and he wanted to be part of it, and he wanted to share it. Sharif has found his place in that world. He has been a rare bloom, which blossomed in the desert
English editing by Achraf El Bahi (1)Pre-Fluxus Conceptual Developments and Generative Influences, in Fluxus: The History Of An Attitude by Owen F. Smith, Chapter 1, San Diego State University Press, 1998. (2) Dialogs with Marcel Duchamp, by Pierre Cabanne, Thames and Hudson (1971), p. 48.

Captions 27
Horror, 1974, pencil on paper, 41 x 51 cm Sea Scape, 1974, pencil on paper, 35 x 50 cm

28 29
Barjeel 1, 1975, pencil on paper, 41 x 51 cm Barjeel 2, 1975, pencil on paper, 41 x 51 cm Chess players, 1975, pencil on paper, 51 x 41 cm Old houses, 1976, oil on canvas, 100 x 80 cm (lost) Bat, 1976, oil on canvas, 50 x 90 cm (lost) Fantasy, 1976, oil on canvas, 100 x 70 cm (lost)

30 31
Sketch, 1976, pencil on paper, 42 x 30 cm Study model 10, 1979, pencil on paper, 51 x 41 cm Sketch, 1976, pencil on paper, 42 x 30 cm Study model 11, 1979, pencil on paper, 51 x 41 cm Portrait 6, 1981, pencil on paper, 25 x 18 cm Portrait 4, 1981, pencil on paper, 25 x 18 cm Self Portrait, 1981, pencil on paper, 25 x 18 cm Portrait 5, 1981, pencil on paper, 25 x 18 cm

32 33
Sitting woman, 1980, charcoal on paper, 51 x 41 cm The angle, 1980, pencil on paper, 110 x 60 cm

37
Ruler, 1981 Things in my room, 1982 Counting cars in Al Dhiyafah Road, 1982 Drawing squares on the Floor Usinga Cube, 1982

38 39
Cardboard Cloth 1 (Homage to Carl Andre), 1982, mixed media, dimension unknown (lost) Notebook, 1984, ink on analysis book (lost) One Two Three Z, Vertical Lines, 1983/2006, ink on paper, 3 sheets, 52 x 39 cm each One Two Three, 1983, ink on paper, 56 x 40 cm One Two Three Z, Horizontal Lines, 1983/2006, ink on paper, 3 sheets, 52 x 39 cm each

40 41
System 01, 1983, pencil on paper, 56 x 76 cm System 02, 1983, pen and pencil on paper, 52 x 77 cm Movement of squares side, 1983, ink on paper, 40 x 56 cm 1 to 8. Eight A, 19852007, sketches and drawingmounted on cardboard, ink, pen and pencil on paper, 84 x 59.5 cm Movement of squares side, 1985, ink on paper, 32,5 x 50 cm

42 43
Black+Black=Blue. Blue+Black=Red, 1984, ink on paper, 55 x 38 cm Lines A, 1984/2006, ink on paper, 42 x 29.5 cm Lines B, 1984/2006, ink on paper, 42 x 29.5 cm Dots, Lines and Forms, 1984/2006, ink on paper, 32.5 x 50 cm 123 No 1 & No 2, 1984, sketches mounted on cardboard, ink, pencil and marker on paper, 84 x 59 cm each

44 45
10th to 13th October 1984 No. 1, 19842007, sketches mounted on cardboard, ink, pencil and marker pen on paper, 84 x 59 cm 10th to 13th October 1984 No. 2, 1984-2007, sketch and drawing mounted on cardboard, ink, pencil and marker pen on paper, 84 x 59 cm

46 47
detail Body and Squares, 1983 My Body in the Store, 1983 Jumping No 2, 1983

50 51
Blue, Yellow and Red, 1984 Grey, 1985, oil on canvas, 89 x 89 cm Waves, 1984, oil on canvas, 100 x 100 cm (lost) More than 10 squares, 1984, oil on canvas, diptych, 81 x 204 cm Central Market Sharjah 1985 Desert A, 1985 Desert B, 1985 Cross, 1984, zinc and double boiled linseed oil on canvas, 90 x 90 cm (lost) Cross, 1985

52 53
Two squares, 1985 Four shapes, 1985 Black and white, 1985 Two squares, 1985, sketch, ink and pencil on paper, 29,7 x 21 cm Four shapes, 1985, sketch, ink and pencil on paper, 29,7 x 21 cm Black and white, 1985, sketch, ink and pencil on paper, 29,7 x 21 cm Bakh Bakh, 1985, acrylic and fabric on canvas, 90 x 90 cm each (lost)

54 55
Drum (Barrel), 1985 Wooden Column, 19852008, sketches mounted on cardboard, 3 out of 8, 84 x 59,5 cm each Wooden Column, 1985, wood, glass and white varnish, 122 x 49,5 x 49,5 cm (lost)

56 57
Cloth & rope, 1984 Newspaper 2, 1984 Newspaper 1, 1984 Jute and Glue, 1985 Coir, 1986 Coir & cotton rope, 1986 Paper, cartons & glue, 1986, mixed media, variable dimensions Paper & glue, 1986

58 59
Wooden bar & cotton rope, 1985 Jute, cloth & rope, 1985 Jute & wire, 1996 Stapled cardboard & cotton rope, 1986 Punched cardboard in plastic bags, 1986 Blanket & wire, 1995 Slippers & wire, 1994, slippers & wire, dimensions variable, Mathaf Arab Museum of Modern Art, Doha Cloth, paper & glue 1, 1987 Cloth, paper & glue 2, 1987, mixed media, dimensions variable, Mathaf Arab Museum of Modern Art, Doha Cotton & wire, 1996 Cotton, plastic bag & wire, 1995

Aluminium & paper, 1998

60 61
Garden B, 2000, oil on canvas, 70 x 50 cm, private collection Garden A, 2001, oil on canvas,20 x 30 cm, private collection Garden B, 2001, oil on canvas, 70 x 50 cm, private collection Garden C, 2000, oil on canvas, 70 x 50 cm, private collection Cardboard, Cloth & Glue 1, 2000 Cardboard & coir, 1999, cardboard and coir, dimensions variable Cardboard & coir, 1999, cardboard and coir, dimensions variable Cardboard & coir, 1999, cardboard and coir, dimensions variable Cardboard cloth & glue 3, 2000, mixed media, dimensions variable

62 63
Plastic containers & rope, 2005, plastic and rope, dimensions variable Aluminium 2, 2005, mixed media, dimensions variable Plastic funnel Aluminium foil, 2006 Thing in TFH No. 2, 2008, oil oncanvas, 150 x 100 cm Thing in TFH No. 4, 2008, oil oncanvas, 150 x 100 cm Thing in TFH No. 9, 2008, oil on canvas, 100 x 100 cm Thing in TFH No. 14, 2008, oil on canvas, 200 x 150 cm After Press Conference No. 2, 2008, oil on canvas, 200 x 145 cm Airplane No. 2, 2008, oil on canvas, 200 x 145 cm Bowl, 2008, oil on canvas, 200 x 145 cm Cup No.1, 2008, oil on canvas, 200 x 145 cm

64 65
Knotted Cable, 2009, coaxial cable, dimensions variable Press Conference No. 2, 2009, newspaper and copper, dimensions variable Boxes, 2009, mixed media, dimensions variable After Press Conference No. 4, 2008 Press Conference No.1, 2009, newspaper and cloth, dimensions variable

66 67
Email Homage to Jos Clevers, 2009, mixed media, installation (detail) OneTwoThreeFourII Horizontal, 2006, ink on paper, 1 of 5 sheets, 39 x 26 cm

68 69
From Right to Left and from Left to Right No. 1 1983/2006, ink on paper, 1 of 3 sheets, 59,5 x 42 cm each Yellow, 2007, ink on handmade paper, 4 sheets, 59,5 x 42 cm each

70
Red+Black No. 10, 2007, acrylic on canvas, 100 x 70 cm Red+Black No. 10, 2007, sketch, ink on paper, 29,7 x 21 cm Yellow+Black No. 11, 2007, acrylic on canvas, 100 x 70 cm, private collection Yellow+Black No. 11, 2007, sketch, ink on paper, 29,7 x 21 cm