Names: Megan Lam, Lee Yi Hui, VA 4.1
Artist: Shirin Neshat
Artwork: Rebellious Silence, Women of Allah series
Medium: B&W RC print & ink
Year: 1994
Describe (internal info, 5 marks)
1/2 mark for every description. You may include 10 valid points or more.
Title: “Rebellious Silence, Women of Allah series”
Medium: B&W RC print & ink
Genre: portrait / genre art
A close up of a woman slightly off-centre to the left of the foreground of the work
The woman is wearing a black hijab that covers her entire upper body except her face
The woman’s facial expression is serious and unexpressive, she is staring straight at the viewer intensely
The image is cut off such that we cannot see below the woman’s torso or beyond her shoulders
Plain, light grey background behind the woman
Black gun in the centre of the work / directly in front of the woman, vertically pointing upwards, placed against the woman’s lips, nose and forehead
Light shining on the left side of the gun and the left side of the woman’s face
Shadow cast by the gun on the right side of the woman’s face
Arabic words written in straight and neat lines across the woman’s face in black, covering everything except her eyes and eyebrows
Analysis (internal info, 5 marks)
1/2 mark for every valid analysis – EOA & POA (line, shape, form, texture, colour, tone, space, rhythm, balance, focal point, contrast, movement, harmony, variety).
You may include 10 valid points or more.
High contrast
Between the dark tones of the black hijab and the lighter tones of the background → creates a sharp and dramatic effect → draws further emphasis to the woman
Between the black ink used for the text and the woman’s face → obvious and stands out → attracts viewer’s attention
Formal balance: both sides of the artwork seem almost symmetrical → expresses the sombre nature of the woman, expressing stiffness and formality
Focal point
Placement → the woman is at the centre of the foreground of the work → her closeness to the viewer is almost suffocating and intrusive vs the background is simple, the artwork is in black and white
One element → just one subject matter in the composition (the woman with the gun) → dominates the artwork
Texture: the smoothness of the gun contrasts the rough texture of the hijab → feelings of tension / uneasiness
Line: the edges of the hijab are harsh and diagonal, leading upwards towards the top of the woman’s head, the gun is pointing upwards in a vertical line towards the top of the woman’s head → draws attention / focus to that area
Colour: monochromatic → black and white → creates a solemn, gloomy mood
Tone
Low-key → suggests darkness, mortality, mystery, negative feelings
Variation of tones throughout the work → very dark hijab and gun, light background and left side of the woman’s face, medium grey on the right side of her face
Close-value tonal pattern: the tones are contained within the edges and boundaries of the shapes / forms
Space: created by the placement of the woman in the foreground of the work → there is a lot of space behind the woman in the background as it is plain and simple while she is very close to the viewer in the foreground
Shape / form
The shape / form of the woman is very organic because of the hijab she is wearing → fluid, free, flowing → suggests both gracefulness and calm, as well as on the other hand, confusion and turbulence
The shape / form of the gun is more geometric, straight and stiff with precise, clear edges → harsh, cold, man-made
Harmony: the symmetry of the artwork and the dull monochromatic colours create a sense of unity in the composition of the work
Movement: Little or no movement. The woman’s facial expression is stiff and solemn, the gun is straight and upright, the woman’s face is the only main focal point
Interpretation (internal & external info, 6 marks)
3 valid points with 1 at least supporting evidence each (from visual analysis, with/ without contextual info)
You may include more than 3 points with evidence.
1 mark for every valid interpretation. 1 mark for every valid evidence.
The veil the woman wears functions as both a symbol of freedom and repression
The veil on the woman plays an important symbol in this artwork, and is able to effectively draw attention to it due to the harsh lines that lead to the top of the woman’s head, and the high contrast between the woman and the background
It can be seen by outsiders as a sign of Islam’s oppression of women since it covers almost all of her body → it is like a ‘mask’ which viewers would see before her → this therefore masks her personal identity and suppresses individuality since she is only seen as ‘the Muslim woman’ → this shows the removal of her power and how she is hidden away from society
Yet for Muslims, it can be empowering and affirmative of the woman’s religious identity since it is something that is specific to Islam and protects the woman’s modesty → the woman subscribes fervently to Islam, showing that she prioritises her religious identity before her personal identity → the veil is not a mask for her; rather, it is a direct outward expression of her faith
The text on the woman’s face serves as a symbol of the rebellion against the government in Iran
The words can be seen clearly, which draws the attention of viewers and peaks their curiosity to know what the text is actually about
The text is from poetry, which is actually banned in Iran → Neshat crosses the boundary line and actively opposes the government’s ruling in the culture and its strong influence on women’s lives
The woman is being silenced by Islam
The act of silencing can be inferred from the Farsi words that cover her face. The words seem to be speaking for her, as her facial expression is serious and unexpressive, and the words are written very clearly and obviously all over her face, hence we can only rely on the text to guess what she has to say
The straightness and neatness of the words across her face could also reflect the strictness of the Islamic rules she has to follow, how no slight mistake or sign of rebellion is tolerated
She also is wearing a restrictive hijab which covers her body and hair → even her way of dressing and her individual looks are being ‘silenced’
A gun is pressed against her face → suggests that she is being forced or ‘pressed’ to remain silent in order to avoid getting shot or receiving other forms of violence
The title “Rebellious Silence” also affirms that she is being silenced
The woman is rebelling against how she is being forced to be silent by centuries of subservience to male or European desire
This can be seen even from the title “Rebellious Silence”
Her place in the centre of the work, close to the viewer, makes it feel like she is intruding into the viewer’s personal space, in an attempt to bring attention to herself to demonstrate her acts of rebellion and ensure that they are seen
Her intense, unrelenting stare at the viewer also is attention-grabbing, as well as a means to free the female body from the objectification of the “male gaze” that is normalised in visual and popular culture through advertising and film due to how fierce and intense it is
Her eyes are the only part of her body that is not being covered up by something else → her eyes are trying to convey her thoughts / feelings; they represent how she sees through Islam’s lies / words that they use to cover up what she really thinks / feels since her eyes are the ones that are particularly standing out among her other features that are being hidden by Farsi words
The woman has an unstable / fragmented state of mind
Visual divide of the artwork in half created by the gun
Slanted line in the background
She is slightly off the centre of the work
→ these are all subtle implications of a fracture in her mental state
Evaluation (4 marks)
2 valid evaluative point with elaboration. You may include more than 2 points with elaboration.
1 mark for every valid evaluative phrase (eg successfully conveyed, clearly expressed, weakly discussed, strongly conveyed etc).
1 mark for elaboration.
Evaluative principle must be noted in brackets but NO marks allocated
(Expressionism, Formalism, Instrumentalism, Pictorial Realism)
The work clearly expresses the idea of oppression and the act of silencing others (instrumentalism)
Overall usage of subject matter that suggest violence, restriction and covering up → which suggested that she is being silenced
The woman’s facial expression is serious and unexpressive → this suggests her forced inability to voice out her thoughts and opinions
The Farsi words that cover her face seem to be speaking for her → the straightness and neatness of the words across her face could reflect the strictness of the Islamic rules she has to follow → the text also includes the message of opposing political and ideological views
In addition, she is wearing a hijab which can restrict her speech and actions, and a gun is placed along the middle of her face, which is similar to how people put a finger to their lips as an action to signify silence
The work successfully conveys a sense of freedom and, at the same time, repression (instrumentalism)
Neshat used the fraught symbol of the veil to show how this Islamic custom protects women’s bodies from becoming the sexualised object of the male gaze, yet also protects women from being seen at all → oppression of women
She also used the veil to show this custom as empowering and affirmative of Muslim women’s religious identities → freedom of religious expression
The use of the hijab covering the woman’s body and through the use of Arabic words to cover her face, except her eyes → the absence of the hijab on her face suggests freedom, yet on the other hand, there is still something else (the words) used to cover it and restrict the woman
The work clearly expressed the theme of (religious / political) rebellion (instrumentalism)
In this image, the woman is “gazing back” as a means to free the female body from centuries of inferiority to European desire and male objectification → her hard gaze also signifies her power and authority
According to Islamic law, looking at the face and hands of a woman who is eligible for marriage is not allowed → therefore, by making the woman gaze directly at the viewer, Neshat tempts viewers to basically commit a sin that rebels against the Islamic rules
The woman is holding a gun, an obvious reference to control → although the woman is holding the gun passively, she still poses a threat to use the gun to shoot at the viewer
The gun also comments on the violence that was brought to the Iranian people through the 1979 Iranian Revolution
Neshat’s portrayal of the woman also represents her rebellion against the Iranian Shah’s authoritarianism and brutal suppression of both political freedom and religious freedom that made Iran’s environment more and more hostile compared to that of her childhood days
The work successfully conveyed the theme of religious martyrdom (instrumentalism)
Martyrdom is a concept that was important at the time, as it encouraged the women’s beliefs, sacrifice, refusal of Western philosophy, and the afterlife
The Farsi words on the woman’s face are from Tahereh Saffarzadeh’s poem “Allegiance with Wakefulness” which honours the conviction and bravery of martyrdom and Iranian women during the war
Neshat intended for the woman in the work to represent religious martyrdom, depicting the woman as willing to die in order to protect her religion
The work strongly challenged stereotypical views of the Westerners towards Muslim women (instrumentalism)
An example of such a stereotype would be that Muslim women must hold delicate items which match her femininity, however the woman portrayed in this work presents a huge contrast to that stereotype
Juxtaposition of the ‘submissive’ woman and a confrontational gun → gives the woman a sense of power and confidence, which is unlike how Western stereotypes view Muslim women to be powerless and oppressed
The hard gaze that the woman gives the viewer is also much more aggressive than Western expectations which assume Muslim women to avoid making direct eye contact as a sign of submission
This leads viewers to reconsider their beliefs and the stereotypes they have been exposed to, as well as the contradictions in these beliefs
It is accepted in Western society for Christian nuns to wear a headpiece that also covers their hair, however when Muslims wear it, Westerners see it as a sign of weakness and oppression
This due to the fact that the Muslim woman’s hijab is often related to terrorism, where destructive and deadly Al Qaeda and Osama Bin Laden come to mind
But in contrast, the Christian nun’s headscarf is affiliated with selfless figures like Mother Teresa
Therefore, it can be seen as Neshat trying to share some basic understanding of her culture, and ask people not to stereotype and assume solely based on what they see or hear from others, but to educate themselves on the true meaning of the subject
Bibliography
Young, Allison. “Shirin Neshat, Rebellious Silence, Women of Allah series.” Khan Academy, https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/ap-art-history/global-contemporary/a/neshat-rebellious.
Lamina, Dorothy. “Shirin Neshat’s Rebellious Silence.” Art, Identity, and Culture, (Re)Interpellations, https://reinterpellations.web.unc.edu/about/neshats-rebellious-silence/.
“Shirin Neshat’s Rebellious Silence Essay.” Art Identity and Culture RSS, Re(Interpellations), http://reinterpellations.web.unc.edu/about/neshats-rebellious-silence/neshats-rebellious-silence-essay/.
Papia, Rumana, and Ryan Sean Gallagher. “Shirin Nashat.” 2013 AP MHS Research Papers, Google Sites, 14 Apr. 2013, https://sites.google.com/site/2013apmhsresearchpapers/shirin-nashat.
“Rebellious Silence: Up for interpretation.” Tybenson, WordPress, 15 Oct. 2012, https://tybenson.wordpress.com/2012/10/15/rebellious-silence-up-for-interpretation/.
Zanatta, Laura. “Rebellious Silence Undone.” Something To Talk About, WordPress, 19 Mar. 2014, https://laurzanatta94.wordpress.com/2014/03/19/rebellious-silence-undone/.
“SHIRIN NESHAT: Rebellious Silence, from Women of Allah series.” artsy.net. Artsy, n.d., https://www.artsy.net/artwork/shirin-neshat-rebellious-silence-from-women-of-allah-series.
“Shirin Neshat, Women of Allah Series.” TeachArtWiki, Wikispaces, http://teachartwiki.wikispaces.com/Shirin+Neshat%2C+Women+of+Allah+Series?responseToken=8f0140cb11a2f3f016ec631154b0b794