Shirin Neshat

I was googling that image of a refugee that appeared on National Geographic and came across Shirin Neshat.  She like her photography is complex. She is an Iranian Catholic that has Western ideals but a passion for her birthplace.

Iranian born photographer, Shirin Neshat, uses her culture to create opposition and challenges the thought process.  Her work highlights the social, psychological and political dimensions of a woman's experience in contemporary Islamic society.  She infuses the stereotypes that she resists and provides us with the image of of complexity.  Her first body of work, "Women of Allah" focuses on the involvement of women during the Iranian Revolution. Neshat did not gain notoriety until Cindy Sherman purchased her work.  Neshat also sparked the idea/notion that other Iranian women could photograph giving Iran a new type of revolution.

Neshat's series "The Book of Kings" is inspired by Shahnameh(The Book of Kings) by Ferdowsi, which chronicled the history of Iran through the Islamic conquest of Persia.  The series interweaves history, poetry and politics.  It also mirrors the 2009 Iranian Green Movement (protest against corrupt power).  They are large black and white portraits hand annotated with poetry and prison writings in Farsi calligraphy.  They are defined by three groups: the Villiains, the Patriots, and the Masses.  Shirin Neshat, stated in an interview that "the individual becomes monumental and the political becomes personal."

So how do you tell the difference between the three groups??

1. Villians: are the martyrs that defend honor and that defend against invasion.  These photographs are more fully bodied and bare chested  instead of the dressed cropped portrait.  They are also the only images that feature color.  These images are overlaid by a stylized drawing.  The red is the blood of those that defend. Neshat's villians are the essence of the Book of Kings (the poem). 

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SHIRIN NESHAT

SHERIEF, 2012

Acrylic on LE silver gelatin print.

251,5 x 125,7 cm - 99 x 49 1/2 in.

2. Patriots: are the passionate that look us straight in the eye with their hands over their heart.  These portraits display the pride/heart of the people whether they are fighting with the current regime or fighting for change.  Like the Villians and Masses, the Patriots have calligraphic renderings.  What I think is interesting is that instead of using the poetry from the Book of Kings, Neshat uses lines from Iranian prison memoirs. The writings are more intense.  

SHIRIN NESHAT
SARA KHAKI, 2012
Ink on LE silver gelatin print
152,4 x 114,3 cm - 60 x 45 in.

3. Masses: are unknown citizens that demonstrate the power of the powerless.  These are the people that take to streets.  I love that Neshat caputures these images with a sense of emotionless.  The masses are represented by a grid of 45 portraits inscribed with the artist's meticulous calligraphy.  The calligraphy is lightly applied- in contrast to the patriots.  I think by capturing little emotion the masses have the choice to decide their future, whether to become a villian or a patriot

SHIRIN NESHAT
DAVOOD, 2012
Ink on LE silver gelatin print
101,6 x 76,2 cm - 40 x 30 in.

I like this series because it shows that whatever side the person in the image is on their is a duality in the meaning that we see and the cause that they are behind.  Shirin Neshat tells the story of her country, her people and shows a side that Western culture somestimes misses because of the media hype.  

http://www.gladstonegallery.com/exhibition/996/installation-view#&panel1-1

http://www.faurschou.com/beijing/shirin-neshat-the-book-of-kings/installation-view-of-exhibition-shirin-neshat-the-book-of-kings1