Reclining Odalisque 2008

Lalla Essaydi made this photograph, Reclining Odalisque, and she’s been busy writing all over it. It's amazing to think about her, maybe sitting on the floor, and making these marks, one by one. Not wildly gestural, but controlled, meditative, and repetitive. The marks on the walls, on the subject’s skin, on the fabric... it must have taken a long time. Imagine the patience and attention! And what does it mean to write on skin? It reminds me of patterns of tattoos, of henna, of temporary decoration. Maybe it also refers to the ways women’s bodies have been historically inscribed by culture and tradition. I wonder if Essaydi was thinking about other artists, like Shirin Neshat, who also use calligraphy and the female body to explore identity and culture. It’s like she's saying, "I'm going to take this historical genre and make it mine, make it personal." It really makes you think about the conversations artists have with each other across time.