TEHRAN -- On the first Saturday morning in 1310 solar calendar (1931 Christian calendar), on the dawn of the New Year's Day, a child was born whose birth, like that of all other geniuses, was accompanied by the mysterious numbers. As soon as he opened his eyes to the world and saw the Haftseen table (a traditional table set for celebrating the new year), he said, "Happy New Year!" And in this way, he expressed his interest in national and traditional customs.

He was called Parviz. In his childhood his mother made him wear a long white dress, and he asked his mother to sew colorful buttons on his dress. A child in a strange and odd dress with colorful buttons expressed his love for colors from his childhood and, by drawing lines on the doors and walls of the neighbors, he showed others how to create an abstract painting! Parviz Kalantari, 68, the renowned contemporary painter, has created many valuable works during his life.

The two elements of soil and sun are outstanding in his works. He believes, "The best elements of Iran's perspective are soil and sun, and I love these two aesthetic elements." The following is the text of the interview conducted by the TEHRAN TIMES with this contemporary artist. Q. I looked at your works. All of them possess a unique feature.

Cob or, in general, soil is quite obvious in your works. Would you please elaborate on this style and its constituent elements? A. I believe that in the current era, there is not any kind of special classification or style of painting. Today, painting has found its main form. Of course I am among those painters who are fascinated by and attached to soil.

A critic has described me as a member of "Khakbazha" (those who play with soil). Q. Apparently you do not consider any difference between tradition and modernism, as your works are closely intertwined with the Iranian traditional architecture. A. I belong to a generation whose main concern was erecting a bridge between modern painting and the past cultural heritage, which is tradition.

However, the matter is not bound to the field of painting, and it is the case in all artistic fields. Therefore, by considering national cultural values, I have tried to create new works with today's international language of painting. Tradition was yesterday's language, and modernism is today's language. Tradition should be expressed in today's language. Q. So, do you believe that we shouldn't be worried about the youth's attitude towards modernism? A. In my belief, this attitude is very useful and should be welcomed.

To be modern is inevitable. We have to live a modern life, and the modern life needs contemporary art as well. If Reza Abbasi, the famous painter of the Safavid era, was alive, he wouldn't depict the characters of his paintings as he drew some 500 years ago. We can present our culture, tradition and cultural values within a new and contemporary framework.

Q. I also agree with you. But unfortunately in some modern works there is not any trace of tradition and culture. Are they included in this collection too? A. Well, it is possible that some may deviate from the right path, but it is not so important. My evaluation of the contemporary painting is that after the culmination of the Islamic Revolution, our paintings have grown quantitatively.

With various art faculties, many have entered the field of painting and tested themselves. Due to this quantity, we have paintings with various styles. I believe these various styles will help painting flourish. I can hear the footsteps of those who are entering the scene and who will seal the fate of painting in the future. Anyway, I am optimistic about the variety of the works, although some may go on the wrong track.

Q. Given that you have held various exhibitions in foreign countries, how do you evaluate the status of this art abroad? A. It seems that painting has not been able to go beyond the boundaries like cinema. If cinema is in the spotlight today, that is because it is something different. The world is curious to get familiar with various works of different countries, but due to the lack of competent managers, painting has remained isolated in the postrevolution era.

Q. But apparently the recent policies adopted by the cultural authorities and also the attitudes of some artists are against your views. A. Yes. The policy adopted by President Khatami is aimed at helping painting to go beyond our boundaries. Even the president considers artists as the vanguard of dialogue between civilizations. But I was not referring to the government. What I meant was that we are in the habit of demanding everything from the government.

However, it is the duty of painters, especially the duty of Iran's painters Association, to cooperate with the government to prepare the ground for the presence of Iranian painters in the international arena. Unfortunately, the painters and their guilds have not made adequate efforts in this regard. Q. What is the major duty of the artists at the present time? A. Faithfulness and honesty in creativity, that is all.