After viewing some of the works about women in art I found that one particular piece spoke to me more than the rest. The piece that really spoke to me the most was “Women in Mourning” by Shirin Neshat. It wasn’t until professor Lemeh told me that her “earring” was actually a gun barrel that I truly felt the piece for what it is. It’s an outcry to the women in Iran and other middle-eastern countries who are living in harsh, anti-art, male influenced societies. That work honestly made me really think about the artist herself and what maybe she has gone through. She’s a very outspoken artist who comes from a country where both women and art are frowned upon. So to see her out there still making masterpieces and doing what she loves really hit home to me. I’m proud that there’s artist like her out there making heartfelt, deep paintings/photographs like “Women in Mourning.”
Shirin Neshat talking about Zanan bedun-e mardan (Women without men) at the Gartenbaukino in Vienna. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
What is art? 