Everynone.....Chobi Mela kintu shuru hoe gecche....cholbe 23rd December porjonto. 7ta venue: Alliance Francaise, Drik, Goethe, British Counsil, Muldhara, Russian and Abahani Ground. Aar beshir bhag exhibitions er chobi aproximately 7 days pore pore change kora hobe. Try to watch everyone of it, if you are atleast a bit interested in photography. This a good event to see some of the world-class photographs within our very own town.
The Daily Star-er web-version-e porlam. Shobar shathe share korchi. Last but not the least, loads of thanks for opening such an intriguing topic. Hats off to you!
Chobi Mela III by
Fayza Haq
Shadi Ghadirian\'s photographs, on display at the Chobi Mela III, at the Alliance Francaise, can stand on their own without explanatory notes. These are studio portraits where the photographer has chosen to construct the image. The photographer has left room for interpretation of these works. Shadi chose modern props with Iranian dresses from a century earlier. The images show a conscious choice on the part of a woman. While photographs speak for themselves, what we see are constructed images of our own gender at a particular moment in history of an Iranian woman. This is opposed to the work of a few women photographers living in the Middle East. This explores the notions of the west of eastern women, and their personal alienation, and does not play on western sensitivities.
When Shadi did her series of photographs, she had just graduated. She presents a woman who is dazed and is not easily related to the objects that have been presented in the picture. After her marriage, vacuum cleaners, pots and pans entered the photographs, and she felt that a woman, no matter what part of the world she is from, has apprehensions.
In one of the photographs we see a woman covered to her knees, and clothed below in socks and pyjamas, holding on to a two-in-one. In the next one we see two more Iranian women who are heavily veiled except for their faces. One of the women carry an umbrella. In the next we see two women painting and one of them is in traditional garbs while the other appears to be wearing something western. One faces the camera , while the other has her back turned to it. Next we come across the image of two woman putting on makeup. One holds on to a mirror while the other has a perfume bottle in her hand. They are both dressed in clothes of a century back. There is the portrayal of two sisters playing the guitar and painting. The next picture brings a woman in traditional garb and holding on to an old camera.
The other photographs speak out more boldly about the confines of a woman\'s world. In one photograph is a portrait of a fully clad woman with a household iron. In another a woman holds on to a kitchen pot; in the next she has a knife in her hands, later a cup and saucer and finally a vacuum cleaner.
The pictures appear intriguing and makes one juggle with the values of the present and past.
link-
http://www.thedailystar.net/2004/12/09/d...401100.htm