Shirin Neshat Photographs by Shirin Neshat. Written by Arthur Danto Published by Rizzoli Publishers, 2010.
I really wanted to like
Shirin Neshat's handsome new monograph from Rizzoli. It's a well-made, impressive object with terrific image quality. It's got original text by Art World Superstar Marina Abramovic and �ber-critic Arthur Danto. I was pretty excited when I first got my hands on it. (The pictures are so shiny.)
Unfortunately, I don't think her work functions very well in book form. Neshat is primarily a video artist and filmmaker. Her ideas are embedded in art via motion, light and sound. Music is integral: her work flows, moves, and rivets. She has received much acclaim for her ink-covered photographs and dual-channel videos, and recently made a feature film,
Women Without Men that I hope to see.
Shirin Neshat, by Shirin Neshat. Published by Rizzoli Publishers, 2010.
Shirin Neshat, by Shirin Neshat. Published by Rizzoli Publishers, 2010.
But movies are not books. Turning the page is a contemplative act, and photographic images are traditionally made to be still. Most of the plates in this book are either video stills or documents shot during production by an assistant. (Larry Barns is prolific, and hopefully well-paid.) Many of the photos are striking and interesting to look at, but always seemed to leave me dissatisfied.
I've gone back and forth about how to describe my disillusionment, as I've been sitting with the book for several weeks now. Neshat is an important artist. You know, Venice Biennale important. I've watched some of her work on YouTube, and it's terrific. But YouTube is free, and video is video. Her book seems like something George Lucas would do. Commodify the brand in as many ways as possible. Who would want to look at a book of
The Empire Strikes Back when you can just rent the DVD? His fanboy army, that's who.
Shirin Neshat, by Shirin Neshat. Published by Rizzoli Publishers, 2010.
Let's face it. This book was made for Neshat's sizeable collector base in New York, Berlin, Venice, and other such places. It is probably a must-have for her biggest fans and followers. If you are among the legions, then of course it will be worth the price. If, however, you are simply an art lover, one who craves experience with great work, then I'd recommend you spend a few hours on the Internet instead.
—Jonathan Blaustein
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