When reading the interview with Shirin Nashat, one of the first statements she makes I found to be extremely compelling. When asked about her concern about shooting such a controversial topic questioning her religion, she gave, in my opinion, a great answer. She says that it was in no way her intention to "provoke the Muslim community" but more to educate her audience, as well as begin to bridge the gap between the West and Islam. I think activists can often, when blinded by a passionate drive, present controversial topics as more of a declaration of war than anything else. While this is often an effective way to express an idea, I also think there is something to be said about a more educational, conjoining approach. Shirin is encouraging respect and empathy from both sides, which will go a long way for her.
I also loved Nashat's description as to why she chose to shoot her film in the magical realism style. While her explanation has a lot to do with iranian censorship inhibiting other forms of expression, I have always thought of art as a way to express yourself without boundaries. Whether it is necessary to keep your message more cryptic for political reasons or because you simply can express yourself in words as much as images or poetry, I think everyone can find solace in delivering their thoughts through art. In her examples, she uses metaphors and magical references to convey thoughts she would be uncomfortable stating directly.
The two images I added this week are by Chad Wys, a conceptual artist from Illinois. I chose to show both because, looking through some of his work, he had a very diverse range of styles. It was hard to demonstrate through just one, but I find them both very interesting.
I really like what you wrote about the bridging together of the cultures. It is true that many activists are very interested in shouting their opinions as loud as possible, and that they don't care about offending people on the way. Shirin Neshat is not one of these activists. I think that would someone looks at her work, they could think, Oh, how awful it must be to be a woman in the Middle East, or conversely, they may think, Oh, how beautiful it is to be a woman in the Middle East. In a way, both are correct.
ReplyDelete