Observation: There is a African American woman standing in the sunlight. She is positioned near a window. She has bandages stretched around her chest, but not covering her entire breast. She is bandaging up parts of her left wrist. Her face is looking downwards towards the wrapping of her hand. The background is hard to determine.
Inference: In Muholi’s work, part of her photographs not only often promotes black sexuality but also demonstrates the horrors of “corrective rape”. According to the article, Passing and the Politics of Queer Loss-Post Apartheid, in one of her exhibits, South Africa’s Minister, said her photography was “immoral, offensive and worked against the nation-building” (2). Her photograph exploited controversial opinions, thus metaphorically saying that the country is “collectively raping black women” to not embrace their homosexuality, but rather repress it. In this photograph, the woman is bandaged up wounds and or bruises, to disguise the wounds of corrective rape. What also alludes to idea of corrective rape, is the window off to the left hand side. It could signal a sense of imprisonment or confinement. Yet the light shining through the window is directly pointed to the woman’s arm, which adverts the viewers eyes in that direction. The woman in the photograph under my assumption is bandaging up bruises or wounds caused by the “rape”. What is interesting is how her chest is not completely covered by the bandages, as both her breasts are exposed. This could entail, that she is forced to follow the rules of society, and repress her sexuality, but the fact that her breasts are exposed shows her defiance against the South African government's attitude.
observation: In the center of the table shows a map of Africa and the surrounding oceans. Surrounding the table is four people that are headless. They are dressed in exotic fabrics. The two people on the left hand side, one is gesturing toward the other. The two on the right hand side have a similar pose in that they are slightly holding their left arm. On the opposite side of the table, there is several other figure’s hands and shoulder pointing towards the map.
Inference: Shonibare's photography, he often combines his natural African roots with a modern and generates the questions still arise today. In this photograph, Scramble for Africa, it alludes to the Berlin Conference of 1884-1885. In that conference, it was a group of the European powers, dividing up the territory of Africa for its potential resources.What also alludes to the division of Africa is the poses and positions of each of the headless figures. On the opposite side, there are fingers pointing to the various places in Africa. The two men on the left hand side that are facing the camera, are posed to show that they are having a conversation about the center topic, Africa.
What is interesting about this photograph is the how Shonibare presents the European powers. First, they are headless, and second they are dressed in “African fabrics”. In the article, Yinka Shonibare of Hedonism, Masquerade, Carnivalesque and Power, he discusses the intentional attire to signify the disgust of dividing up a once unified country. “They wear Victorian men suits made out of African printed fabric. I wanted to produce something signifying both the absurd and the grotesque...It was a moment that time is highly responsible for the state Africa is now”(175). I found in a short blurb, from PBS. org, as Shonibare quickly elaborates on the meaning of the headless mannequins, stating “ I re-imagined that conference with these brainless men, literally brainless, sitting around the table. Their heads have been chopped off and they’re having this meeting to decide the fate of Africa!” Shonibare's work, as he claims is constantly contradictory, and in this photograph portrays the political contradiction between European and African countries.
observation: There is a Arabic woman situated directly in the center of the photograph and is looking directly into the camera. Her mouth is covered by a veil, and her eyes are the only things that are exposed. The veil fades into the background with some sort of writing written on both the veil and the background
inference: the woman is the focal point of the photograph could indicated individuality. Essaydi photographs generate female individuality, as they would not attempt to conform to western culture’s standards. “They see themselves as part of a small feminist movement, as they convey to the western audience their very rich traditions”. The markings on both the veil and the background discuss the notion of henna markings. Henna markings according the article, demonstrate possible life celebrations “henna is associated with major celebrations in a woman’s life. It’s first applied to puberty, when she is a bride, and when she gives birth to her firstborn, especially if it is a son”. This photograph indicates that this woman has experienced possibly many joyus life accompaniments, but as the article states,women in Arabic culture are to not be seen and remain the household. “Women have been confined to private spaces, the architecture of the home”. The veil is covering her mouth in the photograph showing her inability to speak out about her individuality. It also could indicate her silence and obedience as a woman’s role in that particular society. The only thing that is revealed is her eyes, which is interesting because it resonates the idea that the eyes say everything about a person. Her eyes in a way speaking to the viewer, as a way to show her feminism in a not prominently feminist culture.
No comments:
Post a Comment