Niea Milwaukee 2009 Again

Attitudes etched on mirrors

Posted by TerranceV | Entertainment | Posted on February 3rd, 2012

British artist Al Braithwaite has a long relationship with the Middle East and a good understanding of its culture and thinking. The London-based artist’s work often confronts Western stereotypes and biases to present a balanced perspective on contemporary issues. His latest exhibition in Dubai, titled Transgressions, is also about crossing boundaries and bridging divides to find a position of equilibrium. The show references events such as 9/11, the War on Terror and the Arab Spring to stimulate discussion and rethink various socio-political issues.

"This body of work is transgressive in the sense that it attempts to cross physical, ideological or conceptual divides. I have deliberately displaced and relocated familiar objects and sights to present them in a new context. The idea is to offer many different points of view and encourage people to be open and to rethink extreme positions on various issues," Braithwaite says.

In his Hall of Mirrors series, portraits of iconic Middle Eastern figures are etched on the surface of mirrors. The drawings are childish scrawls done with crayons, marker pens and pencil to suggest an innocent and open child-like worldview. But they are hung in antique gilt frames that were originally used to display grand, classical paintings of European kings and generals in museums and palaces.

"This series comments on our struggle to reconcile the past with present geo-political realities. These frames have a set usage in history and I am trying to bring in a new context by recolonising them with contemporary oriental figures. Also, when you look in the mirror, you see not your own face but that of somebody who could be a hero or a villain, depending on your point of view," he says.

Article continues below