Around the time Ashwin and I decided to set up this space (Ashwin with energy and enthusiasm, and I somewhat diffident and uncertain… I mean how self-indulgent can one get, I thought??!), I was sent the link to a raging debate around the (possible) racist implications of the cover to a book edited by Shamillah, Kristy and me: Defending our Dreams. Without going into too much detail about the book – of course you have to read it – it was a wonderful privilege putting together what is possibly the first anthology of its kind. A collection of young feminist writing from across the world, representing a range of issues, with contributors from eleven countries and all the populated continents, including a piece by male feminists (yes, they exist; if you don’t think so… you got it. Read the book.).
Coming back to the debate on rabble.ca, Defending our Cover turned out to be a strangely joyful task: infuriating and inspiring at the same time. Infuriating, because initially it seemed perverse that Southern (read: black, brown and white from South Africa and India) feminists should be defending the cover of their – international – book against a bunch of Northern (read: possibly white) feminists. Inspiring, for exactly the same reason. When I got past the upside-down-ness of it all, I was amazed by the range and depth of the debate around race, racism and its implications. A debate conducted on a bulletin board by a dozen women (of different ages, I suspect): serious, funny, passionate. And I could pop right in with my comments around our interpretations and intentions, including the fact that the cover was inspired by a great self-portrait by Jasmeen, a young woman from Bangalore whose art and activism are beyond doubt. A book that had been created almost entirely virtually (that’s another story) continues a life beyond its covers in exactly the same way: through virtual communities who share its convictions, debate its contents and hopefully, live its ideals in real, tough, worlds.
Racism is an issue we all have to face, up close and political, in varied ways. But it does depend on contexts and histories and locations, and there is a fragile trade-off between intention and interpretation. I have to say I still think art has a life beyond the political, though it can embrace it with courage. Sometimes, it’s about aesthetics. Sometimes, it’s even about fun, as Jasmeen said in her response to the debate. Do feminists need to have fun? For sure. But more than anything else, feminists – and the rest of us who consider ourselves part of a ‘progressive’ world – need to talk to each other. And not just talk in that politically correct manner which we’ve unfortunately learnt to perfect; we need to debate with heat, with strength, with fire. Without ear plugs.
Vive le difference, le debate, le dissent. As I’ve said elsewhere (Fundamentalisms of the Progressive), dissent is one of the most powerful dis/organising principles we have. Without it, we would remain just… opinionated, obtuse, insular, arrogant, blinkered, Bush. Dangerous. Who’s ready to disagree with me then, huh huh?
i’ve laughed so much reading that thread that now my stomach hurts. boo.
it’s interesting though, the number of ways a mask paint photo can be interpreted. i have one of me, that jasmeen took, up in my room and i love it because a chosen representation is so inevitably one that is finely polished – hair in place, skin glowing, make up on. whereas these representations question what you intend at all by any kind of ‘representation’ – since they don’t actually accentuate features at all- -they hide them, yet they show you the person.
also mine makes me look ugly/bizarre and the haldi mask is blotchy and i love that because it’s such a relief from the perfection of most self chosen representations.
and yeah it was really fun doing the photo shoot. fish eye lens and haldi mask is a great combination especially if you’re not particular what you look like 🙂
hey mangs, i love that way of looking it – that masks hide feature, but show person-ality.
and yes, i did oscillate between amusement, disbelief, dismay, amazement, but came down on the side of understanding. reflexivity – self or communal – can easily become a caricature of political correctness, and we’re all in danger of getting that way occasionally. good thing we can laugh at ourselves when that happens. 🙂