Art: Excellent project makes portraits of women from censored Iranian packaging

Date
1 October 2013

It’s common knowledge that in Iran attitudes towards women are largely defined by very traditional Islamic codes, but it’s not often you stop to think about how this really impacts on everyday life. This excellent new work by artist Mr. Toledano brings the far-reaching ramifications of this cultural conservatism to life in an unexpected way. He has sourced packaging from Iran which has had female figures inked out so as not to offend moral probity. By then decontextualising these oddly erased female forms, Mr. Toledano creates what he calls “A portrait not of a person, but of absence. Of suppression. A portrait of a point of view.”
 He adds: “The censor, a person whose function is to erase, becomes the person who makes us see.”

Thought-provoking brilliance from an artist we’ve long held in high esteem and a powerful series of works which raise important socio-cultural points.

Above

Mr. Toledano: The Absent Portrait

Above

Mr. Toledano: The Absent Portrait

Above

Mr. Toledano: The Absent Portrait

Above

Mr. Toledano: The Absent Portrait

Above

Mr. Toledano: The Absent Portrait

Above

Mr. Toledano: The Absent Portrait

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Rob Alderson

Rob joined It’s Nice That as Online Editor in July 2011 before becoming Editor-in-Chief and working across all editorial projects including itsnicethat.com, Printed Pages, Here and Nicer Tuesdays. Rob left It’s Nice That in June 2015.

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