Ministry of Culture and Education

Tehran University

Faculty of Fine Arts / Department of Plastic Arts

Thesis for Bachelor's degree in Graphic Design

Thesis Adviser: Morteza Momayez

Preparation and Implementation: Irandokht Ghazinejad

Winter 1990

Short Summary of Thesis

We tend to think of art as something that hangs in a museum; it is not to be touched, but only looked at longingly in a setting far removed from the real world we live in.  In fact, our lives are filled with art that serves an aesthetic and practical purpose.  An invention of modern society, graphics plays an important role in our daily lives.  Not only is graphics art, but it also responds to human needs and can serve a functional purpose.

The hand-knitted socks from the province of Gilan in Iran are an example of the dual role that graphics plays in our lives. These beautiful socks are worn as everyday garments, but they are

also individual works of art that reflect the knitters’ society and the natural world around them.

The hand-knitted socks from the province of Gilan in Iran are an example of the dual role that graphics plays in our lives. These beautiful socks are worn as everyday garments, but they are also individual works of art that reflect the knitters’ society and the natural world around them.
This study of six areas in Gilan provides insight into the sources of inspiration for the motifs produced by the knitters, the design elements used, and the social and economic factors in sock knitting and their impact in the lives of the women who knit these socks.
Whether creating patterns based on the flowers that grow outside their homes or drawing inspiration from a bird’s song, by knitting these been passed from generation to generation.

The main focus of this thesis was to create a way to reproduce designs that were authentic and evoked the original motifs produced by the sock knitters of Gilan after their work had been gathered and categorized.

download complete text of the thesis (long summary)

Practical Graphic Project Based on the Motifs for Hand-knitted Socks from Gilan