Lot 158: - Tarek Al Ghoussein , Palestinian B. 1962 Untitled 1 (From the Self Portrait Series) digital print

signed and dated 2002-2003 on a label affixed to the reverse digital print

measurements note 55 by 75cm.; 21 5/8 by 29 1/2 in.

Executed between 2002 and 2003, this work is number 2 from an edition of 6.
This photograph is from a series of self-portraits by Palestinian artist Tarek Al Ghoussein. The artwork came as a result of the artist's frustration with the western media's representations of the Palestinians and Arabs as terrorists. He compares the efforts of transcending media representation to that of the Myth of Sisyphus, who was condemned by the gods to an eternity of rolling a huge rock up the side of a mountain, only to have it roll back down, whence the whole process started over again. Being conscious of the power of mass media in reinforcing stereotypical images, Al Ghoussein used two of the symbols - the Palestinian khaffiya and stones - that heavily saturate the western media and connote Palestinians with terrorism. In an attempt to question people's modern day perception of Palestinians, he takes the stereotype and presents it in a benign way, inviting the viewer to explore a range of interpretations. As a Palestinian brought up in exile and prohibited from visiting his homeland, the photograph addresses issues of identity, displacement and impediment. The stones in the background of the photograph symbolise the Palestinian struggle, but they are also used for construction and in the case of Palestine are utilised for the building of barriers that hinder movement and accessibility. This metaphorical use of a heavily charged symbol clearly depicts the artist's nostalgic feelings towards a home, which in his case are unobtainable. Concurrently, the stones refer to the unethical wall that has been constructed around the occupied territories, hindering free movement and the artist's accessibility to a place he longs to return to. The image reveals al Ghoussein's nostalgic feelings towards his homeland and the estrangement he associates with it. The notion of identity is apparent in his conscious decision to hide his face and appear anonymous. He does this whilst maintaining elements of his heritage. The khaffiya covers his head, denoting the artist's search for an identity and a heritage he is denied. He might have used the khaffiya to cover his head from the sun, or from a storm as some people have suggested. However, in a staged performance photograph, it is evident that his use of such a symbol reveals the artist's need to associate himself with a culture he has been prohibited from fully embracing. To compensate for this absence, al Ghoussein, uses fragments and symbols of that culture to re-live part of the experience. Al Ghoussein's strong, innate desire for belonging is powerfully portrayed in this photograph. In his self-portrait series, al Ghoussien uses himself as a vehicle to raise challenging and important questions about the media's role in shaping people's attitudes and perceptions. In one image the story and experience of a nation is eloquently projected, as Edward W. Said stated in his book, 'Representation of the Intellectual' (1994), artists are like poets and novelists as they "embod[y] the historical experience of their people in aesthetic works." p. 44.