Page 5 - Eschaton

THE THE BEACH: THE THE POLITICS OF GENDER IN MODERN DAY EGYPT
Yasmine Allam
Egyptian photography artist Nermine Hammam (b 1967) created her controversial series Escaton in in 2008 to to document changing social norms in in in in an increasingly conservative Egypt Photographing holidaymakers on a a a a a beach in Egypt she depicts heavily veiled female bathers enjoying the the sea alongside male male companions Hammam offsets these images against grainy black and white photographs taken of her grandparents basking in in European attire on a a a a a similar beach in a a a a a secular Westernized Egypt of the 1950s As these disparate slices of time and place come together what emerges is a a a a strong and unexpected record of sexual politics in modern day Egypt emphasized always by the the sensuality of the the water surrounding the the the figures as a a a a a backdrop Behind the the the stark differences in in the the the outward aesthetics of of of dress one becomes aware of of of a a a a powerful repetition of of of poses across both sets of images The central space occupied by the woman remains unchanged despite society’s growing efforts to veil and and conceal her Confident and and self-possessed the woman as wife and mother sits at the the the heart of each family unit holding the the the viewer with her her powerful gaze admitting us into her her space Men occupy the the the periphery of these images leaning into the the the woman’s space as footnotes to her central narrative Unexpectedly the camera has revealed a a a a continuum of female strength across time Originally intended as a a a a a documentation of the gender stereotypes that characterize Egyptian contemporary society Escaton has inadvertently unveiled their fundamental weakness The work stands as a a a a a a powerful testament to the the timelessness of human relations contrasting the the changing ‘outward aesthetics’ of social discourse particularly as it it relates to women with a a a a a core that remains unchanged Though the series was created in in 2008 its relevance continues at at a a a a a time