Blog Topic #12

 Shirin Nashat, Women of Allah Series, 1990s

This was the second time in a row that I chose to VTS a photograph. The first time we discussed a photograph, they were surprise to see something other than a painting; up until that point, all of the artworks we discussed were paintings. I wanted to challenge them again and so I picked a photograph. I specifically chose Nashat’s photo because of the content as well. I thought since there is only one figure in the image, it would challenge them. In all of the other artworks that we have discussed, there was more than one figure, sometimes several. I also think that the subject matter of the image was something that college or high school level students would be able to tackle. For all these reasons, I was really excited for the discussion.

I wasn’t sure how they would react to the stark image but they were able to have a really good discussion. I was really impressed with what they were able to come up with. I thought the single figure and limited content of the image had the potential of being too challenging but it wasn’t. The group was able to come up with different interpretations which made me feel like the image wasn’t too challenging for them.

Since there is limited content in the image, my group noticed everything. This is what my group noticed about the image: the female wearing a chador, the calligraphy written on all part of her visible skin, the pistol she’s holding (and that it doesn’t appear to be loaded), and the negative space. What they spoke most of and was most interested in was the pistol. They all generally agreed that the pistol is what draws the viewer in but discussed different ideas for what the gun’s purpose could have been. The other thing that intrigued them was the calligraphy. They were disappointed that they didn’t know what the writings meant, but of course not knowing allowed them to propose their own ideas behind their meaning.

For scaffolding, this image would be good to introduce students to artwork that uses both imagery and text. As I said, the text was one of the aspects of the image that they were most intrigued by so I think students would naturally want to discuss the possible meaning of the writing. More than once, a participant talked about the calligraphy and provided different ideas for what they thought the meaning was. One student suggested that the writing was the woman’s story. Another student suggested that since calligraphy historically tends to be a male dominated thing, that it was a message of male dominance. Generally, I think the potential for discussion of the text makes this image good for scaffolding.

What surprised me is what one student said about the pistol. One student pointed out that the pistol doesn’t appear to be loaded. I never noticed that about the gun before the discussion. This same student also seemed to have an idea for the type of pistol it was. She was able to point out more detail in the pistol than anyone in the group. Another student surprised me when she commented on the way the woman is holding the pistol. She said the way she is holding the pistol is not threatening, like the way you would imagine someone pointing a gun. This student suggested that the gun is more of a symbol telling the viewer to stay away rather than to actually suggest that she intends to harm.

I would use this image again just because of the great discussion we had this week. The subject matter is relevant to our world culture and therefore intriguing to students.