‘or-or-or’ [the text is the text] Patriothall Gallery

Part of my collaboration with Becky Campbell for the text is the text.

show & untell 

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‘belong’ (intima’) [the text is the text] Patriothall Gallery

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Al-Qalam

Al-Qalam (The Pen) is derived from the experience of insertion whereby the user (myself) is assuming a role by engaging in an action—writing in Arabic with a traditional reed pen used for the art of Islamic Calligraphy—that is not culturally attributed to my identity or me. The work is a commentary on the social parameters assigned to an identity—including my own—and the discomfort associated with the process of attempting to traverse these said parameters.

Al-Qalam [I AM NOT A POET]

Al-Qalam

Sound

Al-Qalam [I AM NOT A POET] Totalkunst Gallery

Al-Qalam 

Installation: Reed Pen, Ink, Sound

Ideas of Beauty: Conversations (Installation) 2011

Ideas of Beauty: Conversations 2011 (Sound)

This is the sound that accompanies the text.

Ideas of Beauty: Conversations 2011 (Text)

Book

Ideas of Beauty: Conversations is an internet-based participatory work that is composed of sound and text, which embodies a selection of women’s processes, thoughts, and advice about beauty. It is derived from my analysis of how women, in general, think of themselves in relation to the ideologies of beauty and its societal pressures. I am bringing the time consuming and sometimes-painful activities associated with the rituals of beautification to the forefront because it is only the end result of these repetitive and laborious acts that are usually seen. I would like the viewer and/or listener to have an intimate window into the identities of the participants with regards to beauty and self-esteem.

Participants were asked to respond to a questionnaire in written form, email. The emails were then organized, printed, and displayed in the form of a book; each response was printed individually and encased in a box that aesthetically and formally represents a book. A sound piece of the responses was made to accompany the book because both sound and text together have a more powerful impact upon the viewer. I chose to record myself reading the responses—in lieu of other people—because some participants were hesitant to respond because of the personal nature of the project even though I only asked for information that they felt comfortable to share. In addition, I felt the responses were solely for me to share because the participants entrusted me with their personal details because of my promise to keep their identities anonymous. My goal was to represent each woman equally while composing an artwork that would be considered a single piece of art, and one person’s—my own—voice unified the work while allowing each response to have its own character.

Ideas of Beauty: Conversations is meant to invite the viewer to interact with it by listening, reading, and sharing a moment in order to obtain a better understanding of how the process of a beautification ritual becomes an integrated aspect of a woman’s internal self.

Ideas of Beauty: Conversations (Full Text)

Castor Oil Rub Helps Eliminate Belly Fat

What is needed:

2 tablespoons of Castor Oil

A fat belly

Directions:

Before bedtime, remove shirt.

Pour 1/2 of the castor oil into both hands to slightly cause a warming effect.

Rub hands on your belly in circular motion for about a minute.

Then pour the remaining Castor Oil into palms and re-apply until evenly spread.

Put nightshirt back on and sleep.

Take warm shower in the morning to remove residue.

Repeat every night.