Eyemotion 2008

Boushra Yahya Almutawakel made "Eyemotion", a photograph, with a camera, obviously, and maybe some digital editing. The composition is a grid of eyes, all framed by the black fabric of a niqab. It’s like a study in human expression, but with a really restricted palette. The power of this piece, for me, lies in that tension. The eyes become hyper-expressive because they are the only visible feature. The artist is working with this idea of process, in that each pose documents a subtle shift in the subject’s performance. Look at the pair of eyes in the third row from the top on the left-hand side. They’re wide, almost cartoonishly surprised. It's a tiny detail, but it throws the whole grid off balance, introducing an element of humor and vulnerability. The idea that there's a whole person behind there, expressing a feeling. It reminds me of Sophie Calle, who is also interested in playing with seeing and not seeing. Art is always a kind of conversation, isn't it?