Core Topic Identity

IDENTITY RACE & GENDER

Rebellious Silence 1994

The words POWERFUL, DARK, BOLD, INTENSE, DEEP, SENUAL, SUBMISSIVE EROTIC and  IN YOUR FACE come to my mind when I first came across these images.

Allegiance with wakefulness 1994

Shirin Neshat is a Iranian visual Artist, born on March 26^th 1957 in Qazvin, but now lives in New York in exile.  She is a film marker,  Photographer and her work is known internationally.

The objects in the image which stand out are the Gaze, the Text, the Gun and the Veil.  These four elements symbolise her identity.  My eyes are immediately drawn to the centre of the portrait and what stands out for me is the text and the eyes.  She is a proud religious women wearing her uniform as part of her culture.  It identifies who she is, what she stands for and what she is willing to do to protect herself,  even if by the use of violence.

Shirin Neshat says: “Despite the Western representation of the veil as a symbol of Muslim women’s oppression, the subjects of these images look strong and imposing.  In fact, the use of the black veil as a uniform has transformed the feminine body into that of a warrior, determined and even heroic”. (Hacking, J., 2012)

 Shirin Neshat has used text as a medium in her series ‘Women of Allah’ (1993-97) but Farsi test which is written by contemporary Iranian women poems and pose.  She uses body parts to display her text on the only part of the body which is visual, expressing identity.  However the use of the Farsi text is relevant in that it is a language which places the West as the ‘Other’ or ‘Outsider ‘ and not the Iranian women.  It is a reversal of the stereotypes.

Neshat challenges the stereotypes of middle eastern women by the western world.  According to her “Being political is and integral part of being Iranian” she adds “We are not just making work that demands the judgement of critics at an international level, but also the judgement of the Islamic Republic of Iran.  I love that-that people’s imaginations can positively affect a society rather than just being collected and put in a museum” (Khaleeli, H., 2010)

Current issues on identity include the anniversary of Stephen Lawrence death on Monday 22^nd April, its' been 20years since his death.  In 1993 in Eltham Stephen Lawrence was stabbed to death at a bus stop by a gang of white youths, only two men have been brought to justice.

In 1998 the McPherson inquiry highlighted the police failing as institutionally racist.  Now current police chiefs say the service has changed in its treatment towards ethnic minorities in Britain, however Doreen Lawrence has a difference of opinion she says:

“I cant say they have definitely changed.  I don’t think anybody knows apart from those who are working inside” (Dodd, V., 2013)

The prime minster says: “We know that more still needs to be done”  Professor Brain Cathcart an author agree with David Cameron.  He wrote a book about Stephen Lawrence he adds: “It was the first time the British public engaged with a black family which had a grievance and shared, in a way, in their anger and their grief “  (BBC News London 2013)   

I watched the Wright Stuff on Channel Five on Monday 22^nd April presented by Matthew Wright with a panel and an audience.  The discussion was Britain 20years on from Stephen Lawrence, they all agreed the police are still racist and black men are more likely to be stopped and searched than white men.  The panel also talked about a shift from colour prejudice to Eastern European prejudice and how institutional racism is alive still in Britain today.

A caller called in to the show and described a person of dark musty skin as a foreigner, Matthew response was 'How do you know he was a foreigner? just be looking at him, he could have been born here in Britain'.  (Wright. M,. 2013) Matthew swiftly ended the call saying the caller could not understand he was being racist.  I was very surprised by the response from the general public.  It is 2013 and still people are ignorant and have no understanding of people of other cultures. 

Racists only see skin colour first and make judgements and assumptions based on that.  IT IS SO WRONG.  According to the Black scholar W. E. B. Dubois he identified an 'unasked question'
which creates a barrier between society and those who live within  the veil of colour, 'How does it feel to be a problem.'  As Enoch Powell said 'the West Indian does not by being born in England, become an Enghishman.  In law, he becomes a United Kingdom citzen by birth; in fact he is a West Indian or Asian still.' (Gilroy, P., 1987)

References

BBC, (2013) 'Stephen Lawrence Murder: we will catch those involved' News London, 22 April [Online] Available at http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-22244598. Accessed 27/04/13)

Dodd, V., (2013) 'Stephen Lawrence's mother attends service to mark 20years since murder' The Guardian 22 April [Online] Available at http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2013/apr/22/stephen-lawrence-mother-service-anniversary. (27/04/13)

Gilroy, P (1987) There Ain't No Black in the Union jack: The Cultural Politics of Race and Nation.

Hacking, J., (2012) 'Identity' Photography the whole story London, Thames & Hudson.

khaleeli, H., (2010) 'Shirin Neshat A long way from home' 'The Guardian, 13 June [Online Available at http://www.guardian.co.uk/film/2010/jun/13/shirin-neshat-women-without-men. (Accessed 26/04/13)

Wright, M., (2013) 'Britain 20years From Stephen Lawrence' 'The Wright Stuff 22 April [Online] Available at http://www.channel5.com/shows/the-wright-stuff/episodes/episode-76-51. (Accessed 27/04/13)


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