neighbours in arts
Transsexual sex workers in an islamic society are attracting the interest of western artists. To be honest, I am quite angry about how this issue is shown. just on the surface. some words, which just reflects some stereotypes of the “other” society and photoswhich show nothing, but the ladies as objects, without any setting, any interaction or background. Sorry, but I do not get the impression, that the artist shared anything with his models, not even the money, he got for the project. (at least I know about a project, funded by European Union, the artist was complaining that the ladies wanted to be paid for the shooting).
Way is it so much special to make pictures of sex workers. Is there anything different to the usual voyeurisms, prostitutes are confronted with? At least the text seems to me more like an excuse, the words seem to be partly from lambda istanbul, where transsexuals are some kind of victimized clients, at least not those, who represent the organization to the public. The rest is constructing a cultural difference, where there isn’t really. Or do you really think those queers would be accepted in any “western” city.
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in a way we are back now in our discussion about your present district: as you say that these queers possibly wouldnt be accepted in any western city, waht do you mean then? is it maybe the so called “oriantalism” which would ban transsexuals into oriental countries? because not-normal people like transgender arent accepted in the west? or what do you mean by “those queers”? (btw: isnt turkeey a non-religious state?! in fact??)
Comment by elenore — Wed Oct 17 07 @ 2:21 pm
patriarchy is a concept of power, which is not specifically Islamic. we can discuss about the connection between patriarchy and the concept of one-god-religions, especially the connecion between the dualism good/bad and the gender dualism, but it will not matter, whether to describe an Islamic, or an Christian or Jewish society at this point. And at this point, I speak about societies, which are influenced by religious ideas, which are Western European as well as the Turkish. This is imho one important axiom, if we want to discuss patriarchy in specific societies.
I don’t deny, there are differencies in general gender role pattern. But I disagree with the attempt to explain them by a kind of cultural heritage. It is more a difference a difference in actual social debates. So far why I accuse the explanation of the photos to construct a cultural difference.
These queers, those you can meet right next to taksim, the epicenter of istanbuls entertainment industry. I just tried to imagine them, with all their acting, laughing,their way to defend against sexist attacks. With their way to organize their working situation. The interactions between them and their neighbourhood. But all this is the work not about. The background is black, where all of this happens behind the portrayed.
Comment by vera — Thu Oct 18 07 @ 8:36 am