Shirin Neshat Response - PK

I am truly moved by Shirin Neshat. Her work shows real issues and has great depth; it’s all very moving. The fact that she’s been exiled for a big part of her life shows that real struggles and issues have fueled her work. The interview about her movie examines her work and life, showing that she is a real person. Her discussion of the real issue of Iranian government and the oppression on artists is eye opening, and something many take for granted living in America. I can’t pretend to understand or know anything about the Iranian culture, so the tiny clip of her movie created more questions in my mind than it answered.

From the second reading this quote stood out to me: “Her photographs show and tell what has been forbidden to show and tell.” It’s so true in that it is not just her taking risqué photographs; she’s doing it against her homeland’s government but manages not to go against her religion still. It puts things in perspective when you have an artist who has gone through so much and is able to feed off of that and produce amazing work because of the experience. The one question I still have is whether the words in the photographs have any particular meaning or message that strengthens it. It’s a great aesthetic component to have that calligraphy there, but if I were able to read it, it might give the work even more depth.

The picture I picked is by Shirin Neshat as well. It shows a person’s feet and a gun placed in between them. This image makes me feel uncomfortable. I think it’s because the gun is almost pointed at me. It’s not exactly pointing at the viewer, it is to the side, but it doesn’t look like it would take much to rearrange the position and have it pointed at me.