This, That and the Other : Occidental Accidents Sausan Saulat

Transcription

This, That and the Other : Occidental Accidents
Sausan Saulat
Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements
For the Degree of Master of Fine Arts in Painting at
The Savannah College of Art and Design
© March 2013, Sausan Saulat
The author hereby grants SCAD permission to reproduce and to distribute publicly paper and
electronic thesis copies of document in whole or in part in any medium now known or hereafter
created.
Signature of Author and Date_______________________________________________
______________________________________________________________/____/____
Michael Vincent Brown
(Sign here)
Committee Chair
____________________________________________________________/____/____
Tom Francis
(Sign here)
Committee Member
___________________________________________________________/____/____
Kenneth Knowles
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Committee Member
This, That and the Other: Occidental Accidents
A Thesis Submitted to the Faculty of the Painting Department
in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the
Degree of Masters of Fine Arts in Painting
Savannah College of Art and Design
By
Sausan Saulat
Atlanta, GA
March 2013
Dedication
To my father Khalid Saulat and sister Tania Saulat for their faith in my commitment.
Acknowledgements
I would like to take this opportunity to express my sincerest gratitude to Mr. Brett Osborn,
Michael Brown, Tom Francis, Kenneth Knowles, Carl Linstrum and Alessandro Imperato for all
their artistic guidance and support throughout and to Ms. Alexander Sachs for making this
exhibition possible and for her valuable feedback. Last but not the least, a big thank you to Mr.
Peter May and Justin Ayars for all their support. Thank you.
Table of Contents
I.
LIST OF FIGURES ............................................................................................................... 1
II.
ABSTRACT .......................................................................................................................... 2
III.
INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................................ 3
IV.
THEORETICAL ASPECTS ................................................................................................. 5
V.
TECHNICAL ASPECTS .................................................................................................... 11
VI.
ART HISTORICAL ASPECTS ......................................................................................... 19
VII.
CONCLUSION .................................................................................................................. 28
VIII. BIBLIOGRAPHY ............................................................................................................. 29
IX.
FIGURES .......................................................................................................................... 31
I. LIST OF FIGURES
4.1 Shirin Neshat, Rebellious Silence, B&W RC print (photo taken by C. Preston), 11 x 14"/27.9 x 35.6 cm 1994 ........... 31
5.1 Sausan Saulat, It’s not me it’s you, Collage on panel, Dimensions variable 2013 ......................................................... 31
5.2 Sausan Saulat, Color me bad, Digital prints, 11in.x8.5in. each 2013 ............................................................................. 32
5.3 Sausan Saulat, Death of the author, Oil on canvas, 49in.x26in. each 2013 ................................................................... 32
5.4 Sausan Saulat, Self Po(o)rtrait, Oil on canvas , 26in.x22in. each 2011 ......................................................................... 33
5.5 Sausan Saulat, Colonial conundrums, Collage on panel, 10in.x7in. each 2012 ............................................................. 33
5.6 Sausan Saulat, Happiness is a warm gun, Canvas print, 17in.x13in. each 2013 ............................................................ 34
5.7 Sausan Saulat, Star scrambled,Video projection, Dimensions variable, 2012 ............................................................... 34
5.8 Sausan Saulat, Land escapes: B positive, Video projection, Dimensions variable 2013 ................................................ 35
5.9 Sausan Saulat, To love is to let go?, Video projection, Dimensions variable 2012 ........................................................ 35
5.10 Sausan Saulat, Inappropriate appropriation, Video projection, Dimensions variable 2012 ........................................ 36
5.11 Sausan Saulat, Kurta, Oil on canvas, 48in. x 28in. 2012 .............................................................................................. 37
5.12 Sausan Saulat, Dirty laundry, Video projection, Dimensions variable 2013 ................................................................ 37
5.13 Sausan Saulat, Trigger happy, Acrylic on ceramic tile, 18in.x18in. 2013.................................................................... 38
5.14 Sausan Saulat, Shark!, Resin and ink on panel, Dimensions variable 2013 ................................................................. 38
5.15 Shirin Aliabadi, Miss hybrid #3, Inkjet print, 58.7 x 44.1 in. / 149 x 112 cm. 2006 .................................................... 39
5.16 Lalla Essaydi, Les Femmes du Maroc: La Grande Odalisque, C- Print, 48 x 60 in. 2008 ........................................... 39
7.1 Sausan Saulat, This, that and the other: Occidental Accidents - Installation view ......................................................... 40
7.7 Sausan Saulat, Tailor trash, Collage on panel, 27in.x27in. 2012 ................................................................................... 43
7.8 Sausan Saulat, Zohre, Oil on canvas, 46in.x 26in. 2012 ................................................................................................ 43
7.9 Sausan Saulat, Queen of hearts, Oil on canvas, 20in.x32in. 2011.................................................................................. 44
7.10 Sausan Saulat, How to make a Pakistani quilt, Acrylic on canvas, 48in.x36in. 2012 .................................................. 44
Saulat 1
This, That and the Other: Occidental Accidents
Sausan Saulat
March 2013
The focus of this thesis is to act as a foundation for the technical framework and conceptual
underpinnings that inform my art practice. Ever since I have begun to think about my work
analytically, I have learned the importance of being able to place it within an artistic discourse
and an art historical context.
This process of being able to articulate one‟s self goes hand in hand with being aware of other
artists who are working along the same lines conceptually or otherwise, while maintaining
adequate knowledge about critical publications and reviews of the work itself. I am interested in
the feminist and oriental subtexts and the baggage Eastern work comes with resultantly, so that I
am able to critically justify my own thought process and the motivation behind my creative and
conceptual choices, using a milieu of art historical references of artists working in the same vein.
Saulat 2
III.
INTRODUCTION
Writer Lisa Farjan in her foreword for Unveiled new art from the Middle East- The Saatchi gallery Exhibition
Catalogue aptly states that the Middle East is too often seen with a narrow lens of terrorism and oppression and as a
humorless, dangerous breed and that other such clichés distort the history of cultural activities. „The richness of
Middle Eastern art and culture which was until that point ignored suddenly came to the forefront after 9/ 11‟ 1 she
states. One‟s identity is multi layered and hybrid - not at all stagnant, with multiple influences shaping it. Cultural
pigeonholing as such is generalized and inaccurate as no person‟s identity can be reduced to his origin, as it is
simply one dimension of his or her being.
My work and this paper is based on the perception of my home country of Pakistan and the Muslim world at large
and its image in the eyes of the West. I employ this research as a platform to conceptually articulate and legitimize
my own identity as a Muslim artist in the western diaspora. The artists, theorists and art historians whose studies I
use to support my work and statement, all flirt with notions of identity, particularly with regard to orientalism and
women protagonists.
Metaphors for tradition, ideals of propriety, gender, culture, sexuality, politics, violence and of course religion, all
form my visual and theoretical oeuvre. The research is an attempt to chronicle my own two and a half year
experience of being away from home and examine the many artists who have shaped my understanding of the
Eastern dialogue in a predominantly Western context. The investigation is largely based on the new breed of
contemporary women artists from the Middle East, Iran and South East Asia.
Writer Gilane Tawados relates the concept of veiling to the West‟s presumptuous understanding of the East, likening
it to theories of Orientalism as do many other Middle Eastern artists. 2 This tag of suppression that is laid upon
Muslim artists especially women can be an important starting point for looking at oriental subtexts or readings of
Arab art.
1
Lisa Farjan, Unveiled new art from the Middle East (Hong Kong: Booth Clibborn Editions, 2009) 1-4.
2
Gilane Tawados, Veil: Veiling representation and contemporary art (MIT Press Cambridge Massachusetts INIVA London,
England, 2003) 18-19.
Saulat 3
In the first chapter that is based on the theoretical underpinnings of the work, I have mostly researched feminist and
oriental subtexts and the baggage Eastern work comes with resultantly, so that I am able to eloquently and critically
justify my thought process and the motivation behind my own conceptual choices. There are many orientalist and
feminist undertones in the works of the Middle Eastern women artists that talk about their quest for identity and
rebellion in the Western diaspora - Some agreeing with the sordid depiction by the media and others blatantly and
unabashedly shunning it. The theorist whose work I have focused the majority of this section‟s research on is
Palestinian born Edward Said.
In the second part of the analysis based on technical aspects of the work, I talk about the material choices behind the
pieces and their conceptual foundations. Lastly, I discuss the application of these factors. The work comprises of
paintings, manipulated photographs, sculptures and video installations. The two dimensional work is heavily
ornamental and lends itself to ideas of tradition owing to the relationship between geometric design, calligraphy and
it‟s symbolism in Eastern art and architecture and Western perceptions of it, courtesy of its Islamic affiliation. This
use of pattern is a common thread occurring in the majority of the pieces regardless of medium.
Lastly the final chapter focuses primarily on the art historical premise of the research. This is an in-depth survey of
the Eastern artists toying with ideas of orientalism in their own art practice as well as writers who have theorized the
subject; using this background of art historical references to inform my work, help contextualize it and provide a
framework for the contemporary Arab dialogue Eastern artists are part of.
Saulat 4
IV.THEORETICAL ASPECTS
The two theories that are most pertinent to my work are Post-colonial philosophies and Feminist subtexts.
For the section on orientalism I focus primarily on Palestinian born Edward Said‟s On orientalism and on Rashid
Araeen of Pakistani origin and his essays for journal The Third Text, which although mostly deals with the African
diaspora, has plenty to do with the colonial underpinnings of art created in the Arab/ Muslim world. These and the
works of many other postcolonial writers provide ample fodder for multiple readings and connotations of art driven
by identity and issues of „otherness‟ in the context of work from third world countries.
„He (Araeen) believed that writing was tantamount to raising his voice against the hegemonic discourse of the art
world. This discourse had confined him to an ethnic stereotype that prevented him from becoming an artist in his
own right.‟3
What lead to the birth of orientalism in art then? Was it Delacroix and his 1828 painting for the salon titled The
Death of Sardanapalus based on his diplomatic excursion to Morocco? How has orientalism and notions of the
Orient/East shifted in light of the prevailing scrutiny Muslims have been subjected to in the wake of events such as
9/11? Is the East still considered something majestic and grand by the West, viewed with a rose tinted lens or has it
now degraded to something demonic, a place to be weary of, keep under wraps- associated only as a breeding
ground for terrorism and the abject and unabashed subjugation of women?
Whatever the stance may be, orientalism has had a lot to do with the perception of the east as seen with a Western
lens and the art that comes out of it. “Because of Orientalism the Orient was not (and is not) a free subject of thought
or action”4 says Said in On orientalism.
Lebanese born, with parents of Palestinian descent prolific artist Mona Hatoum deals with her experience of being in
exile and an aftermath of the separation that resulted therein.
3
Andrea Buddensieg, “Visibility in the Art World: The Voice of Rasheed Araeen”, Global Art Museum, 18 Oct. 2012
<http://www.globalartmuseum.de/site/publication1_text2>
4
On Orientalism, dir. Sut Jhally, perf. Edward Said, DVD, Media Education Foundation,1998.
Saulat 5
„Hatoum has rebelled against being over-identified with her biography. “I‟m often asked the same question,” she
told artist Janine Antoni in a 1998 interview. “What in your work comes from your own culture? As if I have a
recipe and I can actually isolate the Arab ingredient, the woman ingredient, the Palestinian ingredient. People often
expect tidy definitions of otherness, as if identity is something fixed and easily definable.” 5
When I did the work I was doing three years ago in Pakistan, it was viewed very differently and altogether
acceptable. Was this because my contemporary sensibility was exoticizing the west and because Pakistanis like
many others from the East are enamored by Western pop culture? Or was it because Eastern tropes such as those in
traditional arts as we know them, village scenes/ archaic miniature paintings, are viewed as extremely kitsch in the
Pakistani art world and deemed low art?
When I came to the US however, my choice of imagery was questioned. Were my attempts simply considered
insincere and inauthentic because the figures were clad in western attire? Now, two years down the line postcolonial
tropes have slowly and inadvertently entered my vocabulary. I cannot help but wonder whether this route is adopted
because I have grown aware of the expectations of Western clichés. Am I not fulfilling those clichés by propagating
the stereotypes, would be the question many would ask. Here I would like to quote an artist tackling issues of
stereotyping, Michael Ray Charles in his Art21 interview. Although his approach is vastly different and cannot be
put into the same category as mine, the pigeonholing of cultures and races he so eloquently describes is most
befitting. „There's a fine line between perpetuating something and questioning something. And I like to get as close
to it as possible.‟ By grossly exaggerating his subjects and making them caricatures, he does not undermine the
gravity of the situation or make light of it, rather the issues become altogether accessible and digestible. By bringing
the ideas to the forefront in a comical way, he describes how exaggerated and unrealistic our perceptions and
assumptions have become, questioning their basis. His art is confrontational but not in an obvious and morbid „woe
is me‟ way and this is the sublime yet flippant use of innuendos that draws me to his thought process.
It is a recipe I defied against for some time but one I embrace not because I give in, but only so that by turning it into
something trivial, banal and altogether facetious I can make some semblance of it. Although there was nothing
5
Alix Ohlin, “Home and Away: The strange surrealism of Mona Hatoum”, Darat al Funun, 27 Oct. 2012
< http://www.daratalfunun.org/main/activit/curentl/mona_hatoum/2.htm >
Saulat 6
particularly English or American in my works, what it lacked were obvious Pakistani undertones and I suppose it
needed to have them, me being the other. This is not something I felt peers or professors gave me grief for, rather I
am commenting on what I have seen of artists from the Eastern diaspora. One can observe that the canons that end
up in history books and Museums are those who blatantly and unapologetically use Eastern tropes. Examples of
these would be Iranian born Shirin Neshat and Pakistani artist Shazia Sikander who have both risen to monumental
fame in their youth, the latter‟s approach being much more poetic and sublime in my opinion. Whatever happened to
transcending boundaries with literature and art?
Is the Muslim woman artist then the proverbial fairytale damsel in distress, oppressed in her home in the East and
then marginalized in her role by the West? I am not interested in showing the dark side of female subjugation,
simply because I have faced none, however what I have encountered is much curiosity about it- of what a woman
ought to dress like in Pakistan and whether she can carry on with her life as she pleases. These are perhaps innocent
responses to how different I must seem to many, especially in non-cosmopolitan areas where there is not such a mix
of cultures, when compared with how they feel I ought to be, as highlighted by what they have seen on television.
The work by no means is meant to belittle the audience or amuse them; it is simply to poke fun at the new breed of
disoreintalism as propagated by the media. How the East, which once artists like Delacroix were enamored by, has
now fallen from grace. Of course some of the flak we very much deserve and I again repeat that my stance is not to
simply attempt to ridicule the fallacy of these perceptions, as there are definitely shades of grey in between and
some truth, but in degrees and not in entirety. The work although self-referential, is peppered with exaggeration and
tongue in cheek humor.
I simply assert that reductionist and totalizing impressions viewed through myopic lenses that call for singular
readings are inaccurate. I am not saying that all the pieces are about Western perception, but that Western perception
creeps into the larger discourse, as I cannot help being isolated from it and disconnect my ethnicity from the works.
The following paragraph written as a response to the writings of 3 critics to the works of Iranian born Shirin Neshat
very succinctly and articulately describes my stance:
„What all three of these critiques have in common is a rather reductionist and stereotypical view of Muslim women
as submissive, silent and vulnerable, yet dangerous. The Muslim woman is victimized - the question is whether
Saulat 7
more by Orientalist and First-World feminist notions or by her own patriarchal society - but there is hope for rescue.
However, the fact that Shirin Neshat elaborates on stereotypical images of Iranian women as disseminated by the
Western media makes her vulnerable to the critique of perpetuating and validating such stereotypes and clichés
rather than undermining them. The complexity of Neshat‟s work only emerges when taking a closer look at those
aspects of her work that are largely lost on her primarily Western audience.’6
What is Neshat‟s and other Muslim women artists‟ intent then? Is it an effort to salvage culture and tradition, an
attempt to capitalize on Western notions, poeticize and politicize and earn big bucks/ international acclaim, to
mock/shock or a bit of both?
Questioning his own interpretation of the pieces, the unassuming author aptly states „As I write these lines, I am
brought short by my oversimplified analysis. Neshat versus regime-approved male artists? Feminism versus
patriarchy? West versus East? Democracy versus oppression?‟7
The author then goes on to say „How easy the world would be to navigate if things could always be divided between
two poles. Even though Neshat is a great advocate for Iranian democracy, her artistic vision is linked to the
Orientalist ideology of the West. Her quest for beauty and her sensual but empty images create a charismatic
caricature of Iranian society that highlights Western clichés based on the principle of opposition: women in black
veils versus men in white, a black feminine social space opposed to a white male one. Neshat offers us an archaic
vision of the Islamic world in which everything places women and men in opposition‟. (Fig. 4.1 Rebellious Silence)
This binary view of the world Neshat presents is riddled with problems, feels the art correspondent, as he terms the
symbolism and iconography evident in her work, insular. He then goes on to state that following Neshat‟s footsteps
6
Nina Cichocki, “Veils, Poems, Guns, and Martyrs: Four Themes of Muslim Women‟s Experiences in Shirin Neshats
Photographic Work”, The Third Space, Volume 4, Issue 1, 4 Nov. 2004, 17 Oct. 2012
<http://www.thirdspace.ca/journal/article/viewArticle/cichocki/161>
7
“Silk Road, Silk Underwear: Westernized Oppositions of 'Postmodern' Iranian Art”, Front Line, 26 Jan 2011, 9 Sept. 2012
<http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/tehranbureau/2011/01/silk-road-silk-underwear-the-westernized-oppositions-ofpostmodern-iranian-art.html>
Saulat 8
many young, supposedly feminist artists tackling the plight of women in their country are doing nothing more than
simply validating Western prejudices rather than eradicating them and showing a progressive reality.
Pakistani born author and Art History Department chair and professor at Cornell University, Iftikhar Dadi in his
article “Shirin Neshat‟s Photographs as Postcolonial Allegories,” states that the Western fixation with the veil has
been the premise of orientalism since the nineteenth century. He later goes on to say:
„Neshat‟s photographic work interferes in the prevailing orientalist preoccupations with the trope of veiled women
and its reformulation in political debates about the role of the veil in contemporary society as well as in
contemporary visualizations of the U.S.-led global war on terror. This body of photographic work is important for
understanding the post–September 11 scenario in two ways: as articulating the relationship between terrorism and
the gendered body and as foregrounding the threat of terrorism in its current globally imminent and dispersed reach
rather than as localized to a nation such as Iran proper. Through a close reading of the photographs and in dialogue
with critical work on allegory, I develop a postcolonial reading of Neshat‟s photographs that demonstrates their
renewed salience for understanding the imagery of terror in the post–September 11 context‟.8
Yes, Shirin was the canon and the work that she did was a strong reaction to her visit to Iran after her childhood
migration to the US and her subsequent MFA at UC Berkeley. It started as an honest response to ostracize how
dramatically the political situation of her country had transformed with the instability and oppression that followed.
She based her vision on how progressive and extremely liberal Iran was prior to the overthrowing of the Shah and
how narrow minded and oppressive it had become with the mandatory implementation of the veil and this is what
she attempted to chronicle. Just like Pollock was a canon for the AbEx movement, do all the abstract process
oriented artists have the same fervor and ardent cause now? Possibly not. Are some of them simply regurgitating
works created by artists of the past in their uninventiveness? Maybe. Shirin quickly gained international critical
acclaim because what she did and the side of Iran she showed had never before been scrutinized. It was a bold step
and therefore revolutionary for a woman artist at the time. But should Islam, suppression, calligraphy and other, now
8
Iftikhar Dadi, “Shirin Neshat‟s Photographs as Postcolonial Allegories,” Signs: Journal of Women in Culture and
Society 34, No.1, Autumn 2008, 14 Nov 2012. 2012 <http://www.jstor.org/stable/10.1086/588469?origin=JSTORpdf>
Saulat 9
clichéd tropes be synonymous to the Eastern world? What about the strength and defiance of the Muslim woman,
are Shirin and other artists like her not the epitome of power with their education, ambition and tenacity? Yes, the
East is fraught with turmoil and has a fairly checkered political past and an even more volatile present, but
somewhere amidst all that cacophony there is more. It is plagued with, but not in any way defined by terrorism, war
and conflict. It is inclusive of violence, crime, and poverty but not limited by it. By fixating only on the negative
lens pairing it with obscure/humorous juxtapositions, I want spectators to call into question some of the labels that
have resulted from the scrutiny. What I am especially interested in, is how these tags will be read differently by the
Western audience and that of my home country. The Middle East is so often confused with or amalgamated with any
other Muslim country like Iran and Pakistan. For instance, although the chador is mandatory in Saudi Arabia and
Iran, it is not so in Pakistan, this is not something most are aware of.
In her article „Veils, Poems, Guns, and Martyrs: Four Themes of Muslim Women‟s Experiences in Shirin Neshats
Photographic Work‟ a response to the artist‟s photographic series author Nina Cichocki notes „This bi-cultural
position can work both as an advantage - providing rich material to draw from - and as a disadvantage - the necessity
to explain and the danger of the art being reduced to just that explanation. As Neshat acknowledges:
“One of the main challenges for me is figuring out how an artist who comes from and remains interested in the
resources of another culture can make work that contributes to a broader dialogue. I am not satisfied with just
explaining my culture. I don‟t want to be an ethnographic artist.‟‟ 9
The author then states that the reason Shirin has been so successful in the West and not in Iran is perhaps owing to
her fulfillment of western stereotypes. This paired with what the writer terms „the tantalizing hermetic quality of her
work and this dependence on Western preconceptions courts ignorant responses from uninformed critics and
audiences‟10. Cichoki then states that the artist‟s work can also be read as an effort to „pique‟ the spectator‟s interest
with her multi layered and difficult to decipher imagery, calling to attention the complexities of the oriental
mystique.
9
Nina Cichocki, “Veils, Poems, Guns, and Martyrs: Four Themes of Muslim Women‟s Experiences in Shirin Neshats
10
Cichocki 1
Saulat 10
V. TECHNICAL ASPECTS
My thesis work is fairy interdisciplinary, in that a number of different mediums and techniques are employed to give
a visual context to the tropes that form my aesthetic and conceptual sensibility. To provide a broader prelude to the
works, there is a strong overall sense of the binary in both the material choices as well as in the use of applications.
I would hence like to introduce the technical part of the thesis with a list of binaries that so much of Middle Eastern
art is based on/ read as. These binaries effectively summarize or at least help subcategorize themes of gender,
violence, faith and tradition that come under the umbrella of identity. After taking into account many artists, their
tropes and the reviews concerning their work, a visual vocabulary can be coined that is typical of the stereotypical
representation of the East.
The all-encompassing binaries:
I/you
Self/other
Male/female
West/east
White/black
Subject/object
Mind/body
Progress/stasis
Colonizer/colonized
International/national
National/local
Inclusion/exclusion
Pure/impure
Time/timeless
Location/dislocation
Centre/margin
Placement/displacement
Presence/absence
Inside/outside
Veiled/unveiled
Fixity/fluidity
Sameness/difference
Permanence/change
Just as these binaries contradict each other, serving as reference points to further my conceptual choices, the imagery
too is bizarre in its juxtapositions. Symbols of war, such as grenades, warplanes etc. are paired with brightly colored
Islamic imagery or patterns. Similarly, images of the menacing and obtrusive burkha are adorned with patterned
gift-wrapping papers and the likes. I am not interested in somber and monochromic trajectories such as Shirin
Saulat 11
Neshat‟s that have come to be known as the Middle Eastern canons, rather I give a sort of pop twist to visuals,
rendering them altogether frivolous and humorous, staying true to my artistic sensibility. This I do by archiving a
visual glossary of supposedly „Arab ingredients‟.
Fran Lloyd in her book titled Contemporary Arab Women’s Art, states that until recently western notions of identity
had been based on binary oppositions such as I/you, self/other, male/female, veiled/unveiled and the likes. She says
that western thought has believed identity to be fixed and absolute, as in the case of the oriental east. Influenced by
feminist theory, psychoanalysis, structuralist and post-struculturalist thought, associations of identity according to
Fran have become more fluid.11
SYMBOLS THAT DEFINE/CONFINE THE MUSLIM IDENTITY
I am very interested in cataloging the experiences faced in my two and a half years in the US, right from the time I
first set foot here. The images that I have so far archived are as follows:
My Pakistani Passport
TSA Security baggage inspection tags
Other evidence of airport scrutiny (Fig. 5.1 It’s not me it’s you)
Of belly dancers, turbans and terrorists:
Symbols of otherness directly associated with the East
Images of war/terrorism; bombs/tanks/weapons/warplanes/other ammunition.
Images associated with Middle Eastern attire; the veil/the beard/the turban/ The keffiyeh or checkered neck/head
scarf worn by men.
These along with many other tropes are recurring metaphors that enter my imagery, regardless of the choice of
mediums.
11
Lloyd Fran, Contemporary Arab Women‟s Art –Dialogues of the present (London: Women‟s Art Library Fulham Palace,
1999) 12-17
Saulat 12
MATERIAL CHOICES
Choice of materials for the two dimensional pieces
Use of paper: Because the roles I address are somewhat exaggerated and generalized, there is a strong use of paper
within the works. Using a flimsy material to elucidate the fallacy of these claims, there is a lot of layering and
revealing that the paper allows me to create. The paper doll like treatment of the burkha clad women for instance,
lends itself to how something so heinous and presumptuous is read onto something as innocuous as a piece of
garment. This use of paper integrates drawings and collage work with digital images. (Fig. 5.2 Color me bad)
Use of fabric: The fabric both for its tactile and aesthetic quality, central to Islamic history and my Pakistani culture
is crucial to the works. The role of decoration is further elaborated in the section on pattern and ornamentation but
more importantly its role as the veil, seen as being synonymous to the identities of Muslim women as perceived by
the west, is what I am most interested in exploring. The printed fabrics are not only used in my choice of imagery
but they also form the surface for the backdrop the imagery is painted on. These patterned fabrics I stretch onto
stretcher bars in place of regular canvases, blocking areas with gesso to make the drawing and painting process
possible. (Fig. 5.3 Death of the author and Fig. 5.4 Self Po(o)rtrait)
The integration of craft: The two dimensional pieces like the sculptural video installations mentioned later, foray
into more three dimensional experiments, where the drawing/painting has been done on household objects such as
those used in the kitchen. In context of these works, the history of the intervention of the craft in feminist works
cannot be ignored.
This idea of integrating decorative Islamic arts and utilitarian objects such as chopping boards and toilet seats goes
hand in hand with the ideas behind the feminist craft oriented movement. The idea that there was such a time in
Western history where women were to express themselves solely through their expertise with regard to sewing and
their skills in the kitchen is another facet I am eager to explore. While the modern Western woman has come a long
way since, doing all she can to eschew this myopic and reductive understanding of marginalized women roles,
women in the East just as they are devoid of an art history, are thought to be devoid of any such modernization, still
pitifully caught in the archaic shackles of domesticity.
Saulat 13
With my own integration of the craft, (paper dolls, fabrics reminiscent of feminist patchwork quilting, toilet seat
covers, chopping/ironing boards) I contest this view. By turning these domestic objects into the realm of art as done
by women artists of the revolutionary 1972 Womanhouse initiative lead by Judy Chicago and Miriam Schapiro, I
aim to dismantle this limited and derogatory portrayal. (Fig. 5.5 Colonial Conundrums)
FORMAT: The two dimensional pieces comprise of both large scale (paintings) as well as small format pieces
(drawing and collage works), the latter with obvious visual links (in terms of scale and ornamentation) to the
historical miniature paintings of the Persian, Indian and Mughal dynasty. By using the illustrative, tightly rendered
images such as those used in miniature painting, particularly the Mughal era (being most related to and prevalent in
Pakistan), I further my use of the binaries pairing something floral, ornate and altogether harmless with other not so
exotic symbols associated with current day negative images triggered by the Muslim world.
This incorporation of miniature painting (reminiscent in the oval format profile portraits) with the more hostile
symbols commonly associated with views of the Eastern world, not only speaks of tradition and history but also
comments on how the rich artistic heritage of the Muslim world has been overshadowed by its notorious
politicizing-so much that its artistic history has practically been eradicated amidst the ruckus. Having said that, my
work draws more from the small format of miniature references rather than being more actively based on the
miniature choice of imagery and so I do not delve too much into its very rich and extensive history.
VISUAL MEDIUMS
Other than the two-dimensional pieces comprising of collages, paintings and drawings mentioned in the previous
section, some other mediums explored are as follows:
Photography: Similar to the drawing/collage works, the photographic pieces mostly comprise of digitally
manipulated portraits and other figurative shots, set in shallow spaces that speak of confinement. The female
protagonist, no longer romanticized by her oriental settings will have her features and attire completely masked in
Islamic calligraphy and architectural patterns buried under the weight of ethnicity thrust upon her, both
overshadowing and convoluting her identity. (Fig. 5.6 Happiness is a warm gun)
Saulat 14
Film: Video works, as elaborated in the art historical section of this paper, are being readily embraced by many
Middle Eastern artists who are accepting new technologies to stay relevant and be part of the larger postmodern
discourse. Artists working with time based works include renowned photographer and filmmaker Iranian born Shirin
Neshat whose film Women without men has won many accolades and much critical acclaim. Other artists employing
video based works include Amirali Ghasemi, Shahzia Sikander, Mona Hatoum and many others.
Like these artists, I too strongly feel that in order to have a voice in the larger dialogue especially as international
artists in the diaspora, artists need to embrace whatever medium most effectively communicates their ideas and not
hold onto the archaic and romanticized perceptions of what art ought to be as governed by the orthodox few.
Because my work is so heavily based on news images from Pakistan, the video pieces comprise of enactments
combining these footages with those chronicling my time spent in the US. Serving the same purpose as my painting
self-portraits, these more experimental pieces too function as autobiographies in motion.
Performance: The more performance-based pieces do not happen in real time, rather the documentation resulting
from the works will serve as the final art work. These enactments will be documented via video as mentioned above
and as photographic works. (Fig. 5.7 Star scrambled and Fig. 5.8 Land escapes: B positive)
Installation: Lastly, the remainder of my pieces comprise of installation works. Even for the video pieces
mentioned above I attempt novel display techniques, through which I wish to blur boundaries between sculpture and
video. For instance, each of the videos is projected onto something sculptural, giving them a second conceptual
layer. The first video based on migration titled To love is to let go? is projected into an open suitcase that has been
painted white from within. (Fig. 5.9 To love is to let go?) The next, also a self-portrait will be projected into an
ornate gold frame as though it is a painting in motion, providing a secondary context to each of the works. (Fig. 5.10
Inappropriate appropriation)
RECURRING SYMBOLISM/ METAPHORS
The Body, its absence and the presence of the silhouette: The presence of the body or its absence rather, lends
itself to a strong use of silhouettes prevalent in my work. Just as artists in the past such as Kara Walker and the more
contemporary Amirali Ghasemi have dealt with figurative imagery in this way, this blatant avoidance of figurative
Saulat 15
details, reducing the subject to a stark silhouette or negative space renders the identities of the protagonists as non entities, or as attempts to mask their realities. (Fig. 5.11 Kurta)
Role of the garment: As mentioned earlier the loaded symbol of the veil has come to be known as one of the most
easily identifiable Muslim tropes. Other such facets of Middle Eastern imagery as determined by garment, include
turbans, scarves and beards sported by men. All of these nuances creep into my visuals, be it within the painting
works or the more three-dimensional combines/assemblages, as mentioned earlier. (Fig. 5.12 Dirty laundry)
In her interview with The Guardian, Neshat talks about her photography as an intersection between sexuality,
politics and violence. „In the unsettling romance engendered by these images, happiness is, inescapably, a warmed
gun‟ the artist states. Her film soliloquy illustrates this sense of cultural uncertainly and instability. The artist
expresses that although she has lived in the US for a long time the Iranian undercurrents in her work are very strong,
describing the works as cultural shifting. With regard to her use of garment or the chador, Neshat states that it
exhibits a feeling of void owing to the simplicity and facelessness of the cloak and the anonymity it presents. 12
Pattern, ornamentation and Color: Islamic art/architecture, ceramic, jewelry and fabric have heavily influenced
the culture of the Middle East and Muslim parts of South East Asia. This use of pattern has seeped into clothing,
kitchenware and other household interior/exterior items as well as in art. Similarly the use of color too goes hand in
hand with this use of pattern, as celebrated in Islamic culture and religion. Although the figures may be
overwhelmed by projections of these patterns superimposed onto them, I want to at the same time highlight the
richness and beauty of Islamic and or Pakistani arts (fabric, architecture and the likes), a side that is often ignored in
its current day portrayal. (Fig. 5.13 Trigger happy)
Arabic/ Urdu Calligraphy: The Arabic script that is celebrated in the East both within the arts and otherwise, may
be construed as sinister by some, owing to its Quranic/ Islamic affiliation even though there may be no religious
connotation within the content itself. The nuances of language and its associations therefore, is another construct I
am very interested in exploring. For instance, I bought a piece of cloth from Pakistan that has a very nonsensical
12
Robert Enright “Every frame a photograph-In conversation with Shirin Neshat”, Border Crossings, Issue No. 109, March 2009,
7 Nov. 2012 <http://bordercrossingsmag.com/issue109/article/2611>
Saulat 16
and jovial Urdu song/poem inscribed on it. This backdrop however, when paired with the image of a seemingly
docile woman or a man sporting a turban, will take on another meaning altogether and be viewed as religious or
fanatical Arabic gibberish. This is the kind of duality that I am interested in exploring; how one Islamic/Middle
Eastern allusion, no matter how subtle can completely transform the reading of the piece, distorting its meaning. The
artists I have been researching, who inscribe calligraphy/text in their works are Iranian born Shirin Neshat,
Morrocon Lalla Essaydi as well as non Arab artists such as Barbara Kruger for whom text plays an important role in
their visual repertoires. Using a jumble of Arabic alphabets as pattern, I illustrate a language‟s fall from grace as it
dissolves into the ground leaving just the framed half floating in a bloody pool- perhaps the ink from the
disintegrated characters. (Fig. 5.14 Shark!)
I conclude this section with a few excerpts from writers who have written about the state of affairs with regard to
Middle Eastern arts. In the forward for his book author Paul Sloman talks about the orientalist case as presented by
Edward Said and discusses the „cultural reductionism‟ resulting from the West‟s pigeonholing of the East.13
In her essay „Minding the gap: Migration, diaspora, exile and return in women‟s visual media‟ Lindsey Moore
quotes writer Fran Lloyd and her assertion about the need to employ hierarchical binaries, burdening women‟s art
with the sign of „difference‟. Artist Shirin Aliabadi‟s Miss hybrid series questions the ideals of beauty, fixation with
vanity and the western influences of her subjects who sport blond wigs and blue contact lenses, by at the same time
questioning the misconceptions about the portrayal of Iranian women stereotypes. (Fig. 5.15 Miss hybrid) „The
emancipation from one constraint only to rush into the arms of another‟ is how the artist‟s process is described. 14
Morrocon Lalla Essaydi too, like Neshat incorporates the use of text with her veiled women such as in „Les Femmes
du Maroc: Grande Odalisque‟ 2008. (Fig. 5.16 Grande Odalisque) Essaydi states she wants to highlight orientalism
as a voyeuristic projection of sexual fantasies of Western male artists and this she does by referencing harem life.
Most artists, whether Chinese, Indian, Arab or Iranian have created works for which the social and political aspects
correspond with Western expectations and notions about art from those regions. Rather than revealing the profound
13
Paul Sloman, Contemporary Art in the Middle East (London: Black Dog Publishing, 2009) 7
14
Sloman 60
Saulat 17
intricacies of their diverse situations and instead of fighting against the clichés, many of the artists „opportunistically
glorified Orientalism, a Western ideological notion that has virtually nothing to do with reality‟ 15 says the
aforementioned art correspondent on pbs.org.
According to this disgruntled writer, in Saatchi's vision of the world, Iran and the Arab nations (and even nonMuslim ones like India, who have nothing to do with the Middle East) are condensed into one country in which
religious fundamentalism and terror prevail. „The immense paintings of Ahmed-Al-Soudani evoke the conflict in
Iraq; the huge sculpture installations of Algeria's Kader Attia represent hundreds of feminine forms in prayer on the
floor; the Palestinian Wafa Hourani criticizes the Israeli occupation; and three Iranian artists, Shadi Ghadirian,
Shirin Fakhim, and Ahmad Morshedloo, evoke women's conditions in their country‟ 16. But what ties them all
together I feel is the doom and gloom and brute force that has come to be synonymous to the Middle East.
15
16
Saulat 18
VI.ART HISTORICAL ASPECTS
Historicizing Arab Art
Islamic art as we know it, has been limited to calligraphy, geometric designs and intricate patterns within
architecture and ceramics; all things decorative, holding little or no substance but enjoyed purely for their aesthetic
value as orientalist marvels in the „Islamic‟ crafts section of museums. The orthodox views by some extremists with
regard to figurative works (believed to be blasphemous with the artists supposedly assuming the role of the creator,
limited to God only) may have little to do with the delayed recognition gained by Arab art. I am not saying the two
(Arab and Muslim) are synonymous by any means, but that they have come to be known as the same thing be it
Arab, Pakistani, Iranian, Indian or Islamic art, as long as it is from the „Muslim world‟ it is viewed with a singular
lens under the umbrella of Middle Eastern art. In these countries within the art world itself however, calligraphy and
traditional imagery is considered extremely kitsch and unprogressive.
In the book titled „Modern Arab Art: A formation of Arab Aesthetics‟, Nada Shabout associate professor of art
history and director of the Contemporary Arab and Muslim Cultural Studies Institute at the University of North
Texas talks about how after the fall of the Ottoman Empire and the establishment of postcolonial artistic education,
traditional arts evolved into modern art forms. 17 This was followed by a short stint of orientalist paintings with the
blossoming of other art forms. Censorship concerning depiction of the figure within Iraq, Saudi Arabia and other
fundamentalist Arab states further accelerating the abstract movement.
In the periodical titled „Contemporary Practice: Visual Arts from the Middle East‟, author Karin Adrian Von
Roques in her essay titled „Art Market: An Investigation of the Situation of Contemporary Arab Art Today‟, states
that the Arab art movement was not one to be readily recognized and that it went largely unnoticed in the West until
the past couple of years. Because of certain unfortunate events the Arab world was seen as more of a threat rather
than a beacon of contemporary art. Prior to this, art from this region was only presented as artifacts in 'ethnological'
17
Nada Shabout, Modern Arab Art: A formation of Arab Aesthetics (Florida: University Press of Florida, 2007) 7-8
Saulat 19
museums.18 The author subsequently conducted a research trying to examine why this was so by surveying galleries
and art fairs. What resulted were delusions and preconceived notions about the quality of Arab art works themselves
and the prejudices, stereotypes and clichés that reveal themselves with the Pandora‟s box of the East. Owing to these
misconceptions of Islamic extremism and whether imagery is even permitted in the Muslim world, Arab existence is
dismissed and/or regarded as a lower art. In the same article, with regard to Western dominance in the art world
Pierre Huber of the Art & Public Gallery in Geneva states “A market for visual arts has developed above all in the
U.S. and in Central Europe. Because a tradition of investing in art exists, a market could be established. Nothing
comparable exists in the Arab countries because painting, for instance, is not part of their tradition.” A
representative at the Galerie Lelong in Paris affirms this, “Market structures don‟t exist in Arab lands. There is no
market on either side. In Japan, for instance, they have begun to collect European art, and Japanese art is sold here.
Thus an exchange takes place,” says the representative. Ole Christian Koch from the London Marlborough Gallery
adds, “We have no collectors from Arab countries for contemporary art.” “In the end, Western curators and
collectors determine the market,” says Thaddaeus Ropac lastly, of the Marlborough Gallery with branches in Vienna
and Paris.19
This I feel raises an important question. Was/is Arab art not being created or is it not being recognized? Karin then
opens another pivotal debate questioning what the Westerners regard as art. According to her „The implicit danger it
encounters with foreign cultures is that we superimpose our habitual reflective patterns on the things that we see or
experience. Thus the West asks what is authentically and inherently Arab in a work of art while in fact searching for
elements that serve the cliché of exoticism or, given the usual media coverage of the area, political statements. What
is unfamiliar and foreign to us is not always obvious at first sight and needs a sensitive approach to open up its
complex meaning'.20 Not knowing I needed to have one, I too am often questioned about the „Pakistani ingredient‟
in my work. Why does the art have to be about my background in the first place? Am I that different that my artistic
quest cannot exceed beyond concepts of me being the other? How is Arab art different from its western canons
18
Karin Adrian von Roques, “An Investigation of the Situation of Contemporary Arab Art Today”, Contemporary Art Practices :
Art Market, 23 Sept 2012
<http://www.contemporarypractices.net/essays/volume5/artmarkting/An%20Investigation%20of%20the%20Situation%20of%20
Contemporary%20Arab%20Art%20Today.pdf>
19
Karin 129
20
Karin 130
Saulat 20
then? Asks Karin next, calling into question western assumptions- basing the East on orientalist fantasies and alien
concepts rather than on a deeper informed understanding.
The Muslim world is perceived to be inferior and unprogressive compared to its Western counterparts, with a
stunted growth not leaving much room for culture and art. There was no art, so there was no modernism or evolution
of that art. 'Modernity‟ is known to be synonymous to the word „Western'. Even in the East when someone says
modern they are often referencing the West, not because they see it as the epitome of modernity but because they
cannot fathom themselves to be progressive as that is what has been taught to them by the white man and his
cumbersome burden. It is as though the East never evolved. This narrow-minded viewpoint reduces the East to the
classical Islamic art of miniatures and calligraphy and all things kitsch and oriental. 'A no man‟s land that no one
wants to know about in any detail somehow lies between this epoch and the present'21. However in light of recent
terrorist attacks the western fascination with the exotic East has dwindled and the East has come to be known as
something else, altogether menacing and deviant. But with the 19th century and the technological developments that
followed, Muslims too like their European counterparts progressed and the arts too, reflective of the changing times
is reminiscent of this progression.
There has never been any documentation of the modern history of art in Arab countries or any development in art
analogous to the West. Painting and especially sculpture has been considered inherently European and not at all
associated with the East. What the Middle East is ruled by instead is poetry. The written word is prestigious both
historically for nomads that had no other ways to document their excursions, as well as religiously as in the case
with the Holy Quran. The Islamic restriction on images also played an important role in how the Arab visual and
artistic sensibility developed and differed from the West. Many Europeans however erroneously assume that Islam
favors an absolute ban of artistic representation. It is a complete fallacy that Muslim artists cannot draw or paint
because Islam does not permit figurative depictions. If one looks at art history, representation existing in Islamic art
is widespread. The religion does not forbid images, but the use of visuals in an Islamic context is simply
discouraged, this however has been skewed beyond reason.
21
Karin 130
Saulat 21
With the increase in reciprocal influences between the East and West, development of global, modern Arab art in the
sense of universal modernism began. As the west grew more inclined towards abstraction, Muslim artists somewhat
lagging behind owing to multiple reasons, became enamored by figurative painting (and are still stuck in it to some
degree).
However, this European fixation with non-representational painting creeping into modernism,
corresponded with the philosophies behind Islamic art that came centuries earlier and its rejection of representation,
giving supremacy to color and design. Artists in the Muslim world looked to European models as examples and
began to mimic the styles of European artists, as many of them had visited Europe. Artists from Lebanon, Egypt,
Syria and Morocco came into the limelight and in 1930s the first group of Middle Eastern artists was formed that not
only incorporated European tropes but also celebrated their own styles and cultures. 'Without the influence of
foreign cultures, above all of the Muslim East, European modernism would not have been conceivable, in the same
way that the development of Arab modernism is inconceivable without the various influences from the West', says
the author.22
The amalgamation of the two schools of thought or their agreement at least was however not an easy one, with one
group readily embracing development and the modern canons, wanting to be part of the larger discourse and the
other eschewing it, wanting to hold on to their cultural heritage such as traditional calligraphy. To prevent friction
between the two, governments aimed to forcibly curb new developments in art. 'A deep-seated mistrust towards the
colonial and imperialist West played a role in the conflicts, not without reason' 23, of course an aftermath of
colonialism, with the Western world being admired by some and loathed by the rest as wanting to take over the
eastern identity. In art too this fear of a loss of culture and tradition existed and the West was viewed with a
skeptical lens. This tussle still continues to some degree amongst the orthodox few, who still perceive the West as
the big bad wolf.
Arab artists who began experimenting with modernism neither gained importance in Europe nor in their own
countries as museums/opportunities were few and far between. Those living abroad too did not quite fit in with the
art scene. According to the author however, despite all these issues, modern Arab art is carving out a niche for
22
Karin 132
23
Karin 132
Saulat 22
itself. Dubai based artist Khalil Abdul Wahed says, “I studied in the U.S. There I came into increased contact with
art. The difference I see is that in the West you see art everywhere; art museums are everywhere. When at home art
is discussed, you still think primarily of Western art. Many don‟t even notice the art that is done here. But we do
have our own art here. The question is how many people recognize it as art and appreciate it.” 24
After the second world war, artists began experimenting more and embracing new forms, techniques and materials,
ridding themselves of the shackles of European standards by coming to terms with their own identities, traditional
genres and methods, such as calligraphy and the ornamental. They began to develop their own language and
interpretations. Because the question of identity was so inherent to their sentiments, the figure became the obvious
choice I feel. By the 1990s with the advent of the Internet and phone systems there was a technological revolution.
The world became more accessible and a whole generation of young Arab artists gained insight into new media arts
as practiced by the West. Fueled by this epiphany and plethora of knowledge they were exposed to, these young
pioneers turned to video art, installation and photography with a Middle Eastern twist. However, this media
development of course was not so readily accepted. 'In the 1990s in Arab countries and not only in this part of the
world – a break in the generations is quite tangible. The very young artists are more successful in making personal
use of a greater individual liberty as a response to the historical changes. But also in this young scene there are
enough artists who are occupied with the themes of origin, tradition, affiliation, exclusion and identity'. 25
Taking the initial stance further, the author again questions whether contemporary Arab art is largely distinguishable
from that of the West and talks about the intent behind an artwork. Emirati artist Ebtisam Abdul Aziz says “Art is a
visual, nonverbal language. It is an international language, transcending space and time, and expressing our
existence and style. This projecting of aesthetic consciousness, in a unique, modern and universally comprehensible
presentation, renders the visual language of plastic arts a link between cultures and nations, and the vessel of an
international artistic infusion.”26 He thus, like the author calls into question the importance of what exactly the art is
trying to establish rather than how it is created i.e. the idea and/or intent having supremacy over implementation.
24
Karin 132
25
Karin 133
26
Karin 133
Saulat 23
And so with regard to this autonomy, Arab art shares the Western viewpoint, the only thing that varies being the
themes chosen by the two.
Refusing to be “ethincized” or “exoticized” or being classified as “third world” or “African” or “Arabic” or
“Islamic”, these artists too would like to partake in global discourses on art at eye level like their European and
American peers says Karin. Not wanting to be pigeonholed, artists express their discontent with regard to shows that
reference their ethnicities or geographic locations. An artist who withdrew his work from a show owing to the
subtitle 'Contemporary art of the Gulf' says, “I am worried about the misunderstandings and the fact that presenting
my work this way will limit it to a very one dimensional interpretation. I believe that for a fair presentation to take
place all artists must be treated equally regardless of where they come from.” 27 Torn between these extremes, the
author questions the gravity of the situation. Is it so wrong to call the works or the show as one hailing from Egypt,
if the artists are indeed from there? I too feel certain artists are overtly extreme in their disapproval. Some shows
merely want to advertise themselves as being international; priding themselves in the diverse and eclectic body of
work they have managed to assemble. „International‟ has a positive connotation, why then does the Arab art tag
have to be negative? Are we ashamed by our identities? Certainly not. Are the curators not simply doing their jobs
by introducing the exhibition, what else are they supposed to say? There is a fine line I suppose between this and the
blatant objectification that gets so many artists rattled and perhaps the matter at hand requires a much more sensitive
handling. Secondly, just because Arab artists came to know about Western art and studied it does not stand to reason
their art is imitative. These artists each legitimized their choices with the Arab spin they put on the works by
interpreting it in a new and unique way. Their appropriation is not inappropriate by any standard.
The status of Arab art however has grown much in the past few years, with markets such as Dubai and Abu Dhabi
and auction houses like Sotheby‟s and Christie‟s fueling the interest in Middle Eastern art. Politics too has
accelerated this interest, especially in the wake of events such as 9/11, Western curiosity about Islamic and Arabic
sentiments has risen. Unfortunately it is only after these events I feel, that Arab art came under the radar. It is like an
actor with a scandalous controversy, a torrid affair or many DUIs or rehab stints under his/her belt, causing their
films to be blockbusters. Similarly the newly acquired notoriety of the Muslim world has made the artists
27
Karin 133
Saulat 24
supposedly posses a greater voice, with their political work being regarded as much more edgy and sophisticated.
Are we the bad asses of the art world and should we play along? Having said that, the Arab presence in the western
art market still leaves a lot to be desired in my opinion. Is the whole battle just about Arabs trying to get the western
canon to acknowledge or legitimize their art? Who knows. And how necessary is this approval?
Following is an excerpt from a 1996 paper written by Brahim Alaoui, the then head of The Museum Department and
Curator of the Exhibitions at Institut du Monde Arabe, Paris. The author begins the essay by calling into question
why so little has been written about modernism in the Arab world, outside of the cliché of Islamic art, 'almost as if
history stopped at the beginning of the twentieth century' aptly states Brahim. 28
Arab modernism as a movement largely ignored, is in fact a reality, arising as a reaction against colonialism,
liberation and a quest for identity. According to Alaoui few art historians today assert that the progress of European
Modernism resulted from an exchange between the East and West than is previously acknowledged by history
books. “An increasing number of art historians and artists have stressed the influence of Islamic art on Modern
Western art”29. Syrian art historian Afif Bahnassi has written that Modern Abstract art of the twentieth century “is
not the art of Europe, but the art of European crisis.” 30 The Orientalism that manifested itself in the 19th century,
pushing western art to an international realm had much to do with formulating the modern art movement, claims the
writer. Highlighting examples, Brahim talks about the element of spirituality in Islamic art and Sufism on the Nabis
around 1918 and on Matisse, who asserted that “inspiration always came to me from the East” enjoying Islamic
aesthetics. Even Picasso, born in Spanish Malaga, which was under Islamic rule for eight centuries, is reportedly
known to have Eastern threads in his works.
Easel painting as we know it, represented Western political, economic, and cultural influences in Arab countries.
Just so the European expansion in the 19th century propelled an interest in the arts of the Arab world. Often these
orientalist depictions were centered around military successes in Napolean's Egyptian and Syrian conquests.
28
Brahim Alaoui, “Contemporary Arab Art”, Darat al Funun, 30 Nov 2012
<http://www.daratalfunun.org/main/resourc/artrevi/artreviw.html>
29
Alaoui
30
Alaoui
Saulat 25
The Greco Turkish spat that followed and the colonization of Algeria lead to a long lasting interest in oriental arts.
Subsequently, the journeys that many of these artists undertook to foreign lands further amplified their interest.
(Delacroix's visit to Morocco as mentioned earlier, Chasseriau journey to Algeria, Fromentin to Egypt and
henceforth). To escape from the 19th century bourgeois culture, these sublime quests and how enamored the artists
were resultantly, are what first informed artists about the unique palette of the East. What followed was the
development of 'pictorial Orientalism' , the search for 'the other'. Rather than setting out on a quest for their own
identities the Western artists sought 'the other', says intellectual Edward Said; An identity created by the West, its
binary opposite, 'at once the incarnation of its fears and the proof of its own superiority, the flesh of a body of
which it could only be the spirit'.31
Early European photographers too were quick to seek the Arab world and a few of them have been reported to settle
there as early as 1860. Felix Bonfils in Beirut and the Abdullah brothers in Cairo being some examples. Film makers
too followed suit soon after.
Displayed as novelty items in museums and obscure collections, these 'oriental delights' did nothing more than fulfill
clichés. 'Numerous artists interiorized an Orientalist image complacent with an attitude of auto-exoticism. This so
called Arab identity was reduced to a condensed series of several imposed figures, reproduced over and over again:
veils, violence, calligraphy, Turkish baths, and the odalisque: essential ingredients to the elaboration of an “Arab”
work of art whose criteria of Arabian identity were determined by the categories of occidental taste and prized more
for their accentuation of otherness than for a search for connection. September 11 did much to contribute to the
accentuation of this phenomenon, even if it allowed artists to reflect about their identity by questioning how they
were perceived. In a semantic shift that is interesting to underline, they went from being Arab artists to being
Muslim artists. Disoriented, curious observers looked into their artwork keys to comprehend and analyze terrorist
attacks, as if the artists originating from Muslim countries had somehow become expert sociologists, or ambassadors
of an appeased form of Islam'. 32
31
Alaoui
32
Véronique Rieffel “Contemporary Arab Art: Esthetic Renaissance or Neo-Oriental Avatar?”
Higher Atlas/Au-delà de l‟Atlas – The Marrakech Biennale, Sternberg Press, February 2012 , 17 Nov. 2012
<http://www.higheratlas.org/pdf/veronique%20rieffel%20EN.pdf>
Saulat 26
The Arab renaissance that is blossoming can be the divine opportunity to rid itself of 'orientalist rags'. This
acknowledgment of plural/ hybrid identities that are not fixed in their being or understanding is the way forward.
In his essay titled „Culture and Imperialism‟ 1993, Said articulately concludes, “no one today can be only this or
that. Indian, woman, Muslim, American, these labels are merely starting points.” 33 The author thus states that Arab
artists, no longer reduced to their physical origins or „patronymics‟, are injected into the contemporary dialogue and
the larger intellectual discourse. No longer marginalized or considered copiers or Western imitators, the Arab artistic
revolution cannot be ignored.
In my opinion, in order to further assert our existence and relevance both as a race and in the artistic diaspora there
needs to be a stringent reevaluation of Arab history both artistically and otherwise, with historians focusing more on
the upsurge of modern Arab art beyond the decorative but equally important Islamic art era. I am not dismissing the
value of Islamic art and architecture nor deeming it inferior to conceptual art, rather simply emphasizing that it is
preposterous to assume that this is where Arab art history ended and that the Arab world has been sleeping for the
past few decades as the rest of the world was advancing toward modernism. The art of the Middle East needs to be
realized as an entity in itself rather than as an infantile, redundant branch of the prominent and predominant Western
discourse, struggling to bloom under the imperious shadow of Western influence.
33
Rieffel 5
Saulat 27
VII.
CONCLUSION
Women artists of Middle Eastern origin are expected to explore issues of alienation and 'otherness' in their work,
says Ana Finel Honigman in her book titled „Against the exotic‟.
34
But what happens if they don't? She questions.
Next the author quotes an article by Edward Said that states „the conflict between Islam and the West is based less
on ideological differences than mutual ignorance, so that each adversary sees its enemy as a mere cartoon‟. I feel
this ties in well with the caricaturing of the East being reduced to belly dancers, terrorists and all things exotic. The
author then presents a compelling question stating whether the Eastern artists have a responsibility to change
mindsets with their art, „to act as ambassadors of Muslim culture?‟ And this is where the role of the artist, his/her
responsibility, significance and conceptual choices comes in.
Artists like Shirin Neshat, Lalla Essaydi and Shadi Ghadirian for instance, all use the icon of the veiled woman in
their works; easily digestible and in complete harmony with the portrayal of the subjugated - oppressed, repressed,
depressed Muslim woman. Conversely, other artists using more latent tropes to elucidate their identities such as
artists like Farhad Moshiri challenge this approach. Refusing to give in to the stereotypical version and visions of the
burqua clad woman, they find other ways of conveying their ideas. Moshiri defies contemporary art‟s fixation with
the kitsch exoticizing of the veil. On the other hand some argue that issues of identity are not so black and white,
calling for much more complex readings. My stance is not that the East is perfect, rather simply that it cannot just be
seen from a singular lens and that such a myopic and all-inclusive reading is far from accurate and exceedingly
generalized.
34
Ana Finel Honigman, “Against the exotic” Art Review Vol. 3, Issue 9, September 2005, 17 Oct. 2012 <http://0web.ebscohost.com.library.scad.edu/ehost/detail?sid=01162f1e-9d9d-45e1-816400e1fd34dbfe%40sessionmgr114&vid=1&hid=108&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#db=aft&AN=505150168>
Saulat 28
VIII. BIBLIOGRAPHY
1)
Adrian von Roques, Karin “An Investigation of the Situation of Contemporary Arab Art Today”, Contemporary Art
Practices : Art Market, 23 Sept 2012
<http://www.contemporarypractices.net/essays/volume5/artmarkting/An%20Investigation%20of%20the%20Situation
%20of%20Contemporary%20Arab%20Art%20Today.pdf>
2)
Alaoui, Brahim “Contemporary Arab Art”, Darat al Funun, 30 Nov 2012
<http://www.daratalfunun.org/main/resourc/artrevi/artreviw.html>
3)
Bailey, David and Gilane Tawados, Veiling, Representation and contemporary art. Cambridge: MIT Press, 2003.
4)
Bell, Kirsty, Mona Hatoum: Unhomely, Berlin: Holzwarth Publications, 2008.
5)
Bertola, Chiara, Mona Hatoum: interior landscape. New York: Charta books, 2009.
6)
Buddensieg, Andrea “Visibility in the Art World: The Voice of Rasheed Araeen”, Global Art Museum, 18 Oct. 2012
<http://www.globalartmuseum.de/site/publication1_text2>
7)
Campbell, Deborah. "Unveiled." Modern Painters (2005): 56-58. Art Full Text (H.W. Wilson). Web. 24 Sept. 2012.
8)
Carver, Antonia,“Don't force Middle Eastern artists into an identity straitjacket”. The Guardian. 5 Sept. 2006. 18 Oct.
2012 <http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2006/sep/06/arts.visualarts>
9)
Cichocki, Nina “Veils, Poems, Guns, and Martyrs: Four Themes of Muslim Women‟s Experiences in Shirin Neshats
10) Dadi, Iftikhar “Shirin Neshat‟s Photographs as Postcolonial Allegories,” Signs: Journal of Women in Culture and
Society 34, No.1, Autumn 2008, 14 Nov 2012. 2012 <http://www.jstor.org/stable/10.1086/588469?origin=JSTORpdf>
11) Eigner, Saeb, Art of the Middle East: Modern and Contemporary art of the Arab world and Iran, London: Merrel,
2010.
12) Enright, Robert and Meeka Walsh, “The Thread of Painting: An Interview with Ghada Amer”. Border Crossings, Vol.
28, Issue 3, August 2009. 18 Oct 2012 <http://0-web.ebscohost.com.library.scad.edu/ehost/detail?sid=cc8771f8-1acb4b2f-8c3ec163e45d4a98%40sessionmgr113&vid=1&hid=108&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#db=aft&AN=5
05448936>
13) Enright, Robert and Meeka Walsh. “Every Frame a Photograph: Shirin Neshat in Conversation”. Border Crossings,
Vol. 28, Issue 1, February 2009. 18 Oct 2012 <http://0web.ebscohost.com.library.scad.edu/ehost/detail?sid=9d23afcb-a176-4856-a4f5cb5588c1b10e%40sessionmgr110&vid=1&hid=108&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#db=aft&AN=5
05390566>
14) Esber, Arwad, and C., tr Penwarden. "L'ultime Tabou: L'art Contemporain Au Féminin / The Final Taboo." Art Press
341 (2008): 21-28. Art Full Text (H.W. Wilson). Web. 19 Oct. 2012.
15) Farjam, Lisa, Unveiled new art from the Middle East-The Saatchi gallery Exhibition Catalogue. Hong Kong: Booth
Clibborn Editions, 2009.
16) Fellrath, Till and Sam Bardaouil, Iran inside out: Influences of homeland and diaspora on the artistic language of
contemporary Iranian artists- Exhibition Catalogue. New York: Chelsea Art Museum, 2009.
17) Hartney, Eleanor, After the revolution: women who transformed contemporary art. New York: Prestel Press, 2007.
Saulat 29
18) Honigman, Ana Finel “Against the exotic.” Art Review Vol. 3, Issue 9, September 2005. 28 Sept. 2012 <http://0web.ebscohost.com.library.scad.edu/ehost/detail?sid=01162f1e-9d9d-45e1-816400e1fd34dbfe%40sessionmgr114&vid=1&hid=108&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#db=aft&AN=50
5150168>
19) Issa, Rose. Parastou Forouhar - Art, life and death in Iran. London: Saqi Books 2010.
20) Khadra, Ali “Contemporary Art in the Middle East” The Art Newspaper, 27 Sept. 2009. 17 Oct 2012.
<http://www.theartnewspaper.com/articles/Contemporary-art-in-the-Middle-East/19352>
21) Lloyd, Fran, Contemporary Arab Women‟s Art –Dialogues of the present. London: Women‟s Art Library Fulham
Palace, 1999.
22) Mikdadi, Salwa. "West Asia: Postmodernism, the Diaspora, and Women Artists". In Heilbrunn Timeline of Art
History. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art October 2004, 24 Sept 2012
<http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/dias/hd_dias.htm>
23) Milekian, Souren. “When Cultural Identity Is Denied”. The New York Times. March 9, 2012, 17 Sept 2012
<http://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/10/arts/10iht-melikian10.html?pagewanted=all>
24) Navab, Aphrodite Désirée , “Unsaying Life Stories: The Self-Representational Art of Shirin Neshat and Ghazel” The
Journal of Aesthetic Education. Volume 41, No. 4. Dec 2007. 7 Oct 2012
<http://muse.jhu.edu/login?auth=0&type=summary&url=/journals/the_journal_of_aesthetic_education/v041/41.4inde
x.html> 39-66
25) Ohlin, Alix “Home and Away: The strange surrealism of Mona Hatoum”, Darat al Funun, 27 Oct. 2012
< http://www.daratalfunun.org/main/activit/curentl/mona_hatoum/2.htm >
26) On Orientalism, Dir. Sut Jhally, Perf. Edward Said, DVD, Media Education Foundation, 1998.
27) Porter, Venetia. World into art-Artists of the Middle East. London: The British Museum Press, 2006.
28) Rieffel, Véronique “Contemporary Arab Art: Esthetic Renaissance or Neo-Oriental Avatar?”
Higher Atlas/Au-delà de l‟Atlas – The Marrakech Biennale, Sternberg Press, February 2012 , 17 Nov. 2012
<http://www.higheratlas.org/pdf/veronique%20rieffel%20EN.pdf>
29) Shabout, Nada, Modern Arab Art: A formation of Arab Aesthetics. Florida: University Press of Florida, 2007.
30) Shojania, Moti “Contemporary Iranian Art 21st century”, Border Crossings Issue 28, no.4 Dec. 2009, 24 Sept. 2012
<http://www.bordercrossingsmag.com/issue112/article/2717>
31) “Silk Road, Silk Underwear: Westernized Oppositions of 'Postmodern' Iranian Art”, Front Line, 26 Jan 2011, 9 Sept.
2012 <http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/tehranbureau/2011/01/silk-road-silk-underwear-the-westernizedoppositions-of-postmodern-iranian-art.html>
32) Sloman, Paul. Contemporary Art in the Middle East. London: Black dog publishing, 2009.
33) Sokoly, Jochen “Displacement and the diaspora: the modern nomad curator‟s commentary” 7 Oct 2012
<http://www.camillezakharia.com/14.pdf>
34) Stephanie Cotela. "Contemporary Art In The Middle East." Art Book 16.4 (2009): 15-16. Art Full Text (H.W.
Wilson). Web. 20 Sept 2012.
35) Steward, Laura Heon, Mona Hatoum: domestic disturbance. Massachusetts: MASS MOCA/ Storey Books, 2001.
Saulat 30
IX. FIGURES
4.1 Shirin Neshat, Rebellious Silence, B&W RC print & ink
(photo taken by C. Preston), 11 x 14"/27.9 x 35.6 cm 1994
5.1 Sausan Saulat, It’s not me it’s you , Collage on panel, Dimensions variable 2013
Saulat 31
5.2 Sausan Saulat, Color me bad, Digital prints, 11in.x8.5in. each 2013
5.3 Sausan Saulat, Death of the author, Oil on canvas, 49in.x26in. each 2013
Saulat 32
5.4 Sausan Saulat, Self Po(o)rtrait, Oil on canvas , 26in.x22in. each 2011
5.5 Sausan Saulat, Colonial conundrums, Collage on panel, 10in.x7in. each 2012
Saulat 33
5.6 Sausan Saulat, Happiness is a warm gun, Canvas print, 17in.x13in. each 2013
5.7 Sausan Saulat, Star scrambled, Video projection, Dimensions variable, 2012
Saulat 34
5.8 Sausan Saulat, Land escapes: B positive, Video projection, Dimensions variable 2013
5.9 Sausan Saulat, To love is to let go?, Video projection, Dimensions variable 2012
Saulat 35
5.10 Sausan Saulat, Inappropriate appropriation, Video projection, Dimensions variable 2012
Saulat 36
5.11 Sausan Saulat, Kurta, Oil on canvas, 48in. x 28in. 2012
5.12 Sausan Saulat, Dirty laundry, Video projection, Dimensions variable 2013
Saulat 37
5.13 Sausan Saulat, Trigger happy, Acrylic on ceramic tile, 18in.x18in. 2013
5.14 Sausan Saulat, Shark!, Resin and ink on panel, Dimensions variable 2013
Saulat 38
5.15 Shirin Aliabadi, Miss hybrid #3, Inkjet print, 58.7 x 44.1 in. / 149 x 112 cm. 2006
5.16 Lalla Essaydi, Les Femmes du Maroc: La Grande Odalisque, C- Print, 48 x 60 in. 2008
Saulat 39
7.1 Sausan Saulat, This, that and the other: Occidental Accidents - Installation view
Saulat 40
Saulat 41
Saulat 42
7.7 Sausan Saulat, Tailor trash, Collage on panel, 27in.x27in. 2012
7.8 Sausan Saulat, Zohre, Oil on canvas, 46in.x 26in. 2012
Saulat 43
7.9 Sausan Saulat, Queen of hearts, Oil on canvas, 20in.x32in. 2011
7.10 Sausan Saulat, How to make a Pakistani quilt, Acrylic on canvas, 48in.x36in. 2012
Saulat 44

This, That and the Other : Occidental Accidents Sausan Saulat

Transcription

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