Amir Esbati's 1980 Essay on 1968 Student Movement and Iranian Art Students Translated

A translation of Amir Esbati's 1980 essay "The Student Movement of May 1968 and the Fine Art Students" has been introduced. Originally published in Labour and Art in Tehran during December 1978, the text examines how street politics influenced visual culture in modern Iran. Esbati, a member of the Marxist Group 57 student organization, wrote during the Iranian Revolution's political and aesthetic upheaval. He observed that city walls had transformed into pages of a popular history book, with each sign or inscription bearing specific dates and times. The introduction analyzes political posters as powerful manifestations of street politics, exploring their operation, reproduction, and role as objects of commentary and speculation. The content is available through MIT Press with full access. The translation was published on October 5, 2017.