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 26th 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 22nd 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 22nd 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)
http://mylens1.blogspot.co.uk/2013/05/identity.html
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)
http://mylens1.blogspot.co.uk/2013/05/identity.html
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