What will you leave behind?

[sovay]

A fascinating effect: I am not actually comfortable looking at these portraits. The photographer frames them as an act of resistance (if he couldn't avoid taking the photos, he could at least make sure they weren't the tidy, compliant headshots the authorities wanted—frankly, I don't think he was the one making that choice) and points out that fifty years later the women were grateful for these records of themselves, but there was nothing willing about them at the time. It comes through. I do not want to see these women unveiled, because I don't have the right to: it is so clearly not how they wish to be seen. But they aren't hiding. They are staring back. They are making it as difficult as possible for the camera, for the viewer to look at them and feel it is a consenting act. That's not something I've seen in a lot of pictures. So I am linking these, but I couldn't look at more than five myself. I don't know if they should ever have been taken. That is a strange thing to say about art.

Comments

[handful-ofdust.livejournal.com]

I reblogged the first five of these recently, on Tumblr, and I agree--they're hard to look at. they should be. The woman who drives my son's bus wears a niqab these days, but over the first few weeks on the job, she only wore a hijab; it was like she was testing the waters, trying to ascertain if we'd trust her if she covered (most of) her face. I'm fine with it; it saddens me to think that others might not be. From my POV, I'm trusting her with Cal's safety, so I'd rather she does whatever she needs to in order to feel comfortable, secure and at the proper height of her abilities. When she says hello to me, or him, I don't need to see her mouth to know she's smiling.