Analyzing the Possibility of Approximation of Art to Religious Notions

Based on the criterion of form, one can define the relationship between art and religion and classify art into two categories: proximate arts (honarhā-ye moqarrab) and distant arts (honarhā-ye moba'ed).
Proximate arts are those that enable art to draw near to religious concepts, characterized by their avoidance of excessive detail and their use of symbols to present the subject matter. In such arts, the audience is not a passive recipient; rather, it is through the audience's engagement that the artwork is completed. Islamic arts make extensive use of symbols, conveying their meaning to the audience through symbolic means without compromising the religious concept. For this reason, proximate art can transmit religious meanings while preserving their framework.
Distant arts, on the other hand, are those that strive to depict every detail and omit nothing, no matter how minute. However, attempting to represent the imperceptible in full detail proves unsuccessful. On the one hand, such art insists on depicting the imperceptible with all its particulars; on the other, it possesses no actual image of the imperceptible. Consequently, it produces a distorted and fabricated representation of religious imperceptibles. Evidently, such arts cannot serve as mediators between the audience and the religious message.