Anonymous. Madani’s parents’ home, the studio, Saida, Lebanon, 1949-50. Hashem el Madani 2007
Dimensions: image: 290 x 190 mm
Copyright: © Akram Zaatari, courtesy Hashem el Madani and Arab Image Foundation, Beirut | CC-BY-NC-ND 4.0 DEED, Photo: Tate
Curator: This photograph, from Hashem el Madani's studio taken in Saida, Lebanon around 1949-50 and presented by Akram Zaatari, depicts two young boys, a portrait of familial and cultural memory. Editor: The tonal range creates a somber mood despite the boys’ youth. The textures – the smooth skin, furry pelt, and checkered tile – pull me in, though. Curator: Exactly. Note the older boy’s serious demeanor, holding a book – a symbol perhaps of knowledge, duty, and the expectations placed upon him. Editor: And yet, the composition feels somewhat unbalanced. The negative space above the boys feels disproportionate, almost oppressive. Curator: Perhaps reflecting the weight of tradition and societal pressures during that era. The fur, a symbol of wealth and status, juxtaposed with their simple clothing. Editor: It does add another layer. I was focusing on the sharp details versus the blurry background, creating a striking contrast. Curator: It reveals so much about the era, doesn't it? A world captured in this single frame. Editor: I see so much more now, tracing those subtle contrasts. Thank you.
Comments
http://www.tate.org.uk/art/artworks/zaatari-anonymous-madanis-parents-home-the-studio-saida-lebanon-1949-50-hashem-el-madani-p79506
Join the conversation
Join millions of artists and users on Artera today and experience the ultimate creative platform.
This work is one of a series of black and white silver gelatin photographs of varying sizes that are collectively titled Objects of study/The archive of studio Shehrazade/Hashem el Madani/Studio Practices. All of the photographs were taken by the Lebanese commercial photographer Hashem el Madani between 1948 and 1982 and compiled into the present group, 117 of which are in Tate’s collection, by the Lebanese artist Akram Zaatari. All of the photographs include people, either alone, in pairs or in small groups, and most were taken in Madani’s studio, although some were shot outside and in his subjects’ homes. The series features men and women and covers a wide age range from babies to elderly people. Almost all of the sitters assume poses deliberately for the camera, sometimes accompanied by props or costumes, and most gaze directly towards the lens. Many of the pictures show subjects interacting in various ways, including embracing, kissing and acting out scenes, such as a mock wrestling match. The photographs are mostly tightly cropped, with the sitter or sitters filling most of the frame, although in some cases the figures are positioned further away from the camera, for instance when shown sitting at a table or standing behind a chair. The photographs tend to have sparse backgrounds, often dominated by a blank posterior wall. They are mounted on white paper, displayed in plain white frames and signed on the back by Madani. Many of them have been organised into categories by Zaatari – such as a group featuring men dressed as Syrian resistance fighters and a collection depicting newly married couples – while the rest are presented individually. Zaatari has stated that although he prefers these groups to be displayed together, this is not a requirement (Akram Zaatari, email to Rachel Taylor, 24 April 2008, Tate Acquisition file).
CollectMore like this
