Shirin Neshat

   I really enjoyed reading the interview with Shirin Neshat. I was able to read about her art from her point of view rather than a third person point of view. This is good because it is always better to hear from the artist, and what their purpose and intentions are for their art. Though Neshat primarily uses women in her pieces, I find it interesting that she does not consider herself a feminist. Instead, she is more interested in women and the rights they have and how they are in their own space. I think this is a step up from artists such as Barbara Kruger and Hannah Hoch who take the more feminist approach. It is interesting how Neshat sheds light on the Muslim and Iranian woman’s identity and finds beauty within in it.

    I also, found it interesting that Neshat is an exile in Iran. I feel like having this title allows her to really invest herself in her work and connect with the women she is demonstrating. She makes it clear that even though Iran’s government exiled her, she still loves her country very much and looks forward to going back their one day. I find this to be pretty admirable because she could have easily disowned her identity as an Iranian woman or even given up her artistry to try to make peace with the Iranian government. However, she remained positive and continues to shine a bright light on the women in Iran.

      The photograph I chose was “Hands” by Shirin Neshat. This piece is appealing to me because it shows a female and a male arm, but the female arm has the Arabic language written on it and the male’s arm is just coiled with black tape. By doing this, Neshat is allowing for the female’s identity outshine the male’s because the words on her arm are more complex and detailed than simple coiled tape. It gives the woman more substance and shows that in this piece the woman is more important.