The Artist’s Teleological Thinking and the Perception of Hosn in “Martyr Chamran and the Sunflower”: A Cognitive and Criteria-Based Analysis through Conceptual Blending Theory

This study proposes a novel, interdisciplinary analytical model for understanding symbolic artworks within the framework of Islamic wisdom, offering an in-depth analysis of the iconic photograph "Shahid Chamran and the Sunflower" by Kazem Akhavan. As one of the most enduring images of post-revolutionary culture, this work has often been analyzed through descriptive or historical approaches that fail to explain the mechanisms of its profound impact. The central research problem addresses this gap by scientifically elucidating the cognitive processes through which a visual work can transcend the level of mere documentation of reality (Basar) and become a manifestation of Hosn-bini .
This paper establishes an innovative link between the theoretical foundations of the artist's "teleological thinking" and the analytical tools of cognitive science. According to this model, the photograph's power lies in its ability to simultaneously activate two opposing mental schemas: 'struggle' and 'gentleness'. This contradiction prompts the viewer's mind to create a new and creative "blended space."
Finally, to validate this cognitive output, the study employs the metrics from the "Artwork Evaluation Questionnaire" (Akhovat, 2018), which operationalizes the philosophical concept of Hosn into practical, value-based criteria. The results show that the emergent concept demonstrates a perfect alignment with the criteria of a Hosn-centric work of art, such as the invitation to perfection, the inspiration of hope, and resistance to tyranny. This research not only provides an effective model for analyzing spiritual art but also demonstrates how a cognitive approach can effectively model the perceptual process of spiritual aesthetics.