The mood at the latest "Veil" exhibition at Modern Art Oxford, (by twenty artists), was one of calm and contemplation. This was partly from the lack of bustling crowds, but mostly due to the private and sometimes sensitive subject matter - the veil is a deep routed often primal subject in societies generally. I got food for thought, particularly about difference in cultural attitudes towards the body.

This mostly photographic exhibition took me on a quiet but revealing ride through the subject of the Veil, in relation to sexuality, politics, religion, and cultural differences at large. Among the pieces that interested me most were a pinned up display of an entire vogue magazine. The pages were made of white tracing paper, with naked body parts on the page painted black. The result is a fragmented image of black shapes next to an invisible white space of the clothed body parts. It compares the censored (naked), and objectified (clothed) parts of the body. From a different culture, The photographs of Algerian women forced to unveil for the camera; due to an imposed identity card system by the french in 1960 were also powerful. The silent but fierce protest visible in their faces as they sit exposed outdoors for the camera is evident. In terms of sexual codes and the body, the exhibition made me wonder when women are most empowered or most degraded?. Is it when their bodies are swamped and concealed, or when they publicly bare almost everything?. The last room moved towards the west, and focused on large imposing images of London and New York colonised by Middle Eastern Muslim peoples. The merging of these cultures looked absurdly out of place, but the effect was powerful and showed the western paranoia towards the eastern "other". The comment on mass production made by the four sewing machines standing in the room engulfed in yards of
grey fabric, also impressed me. The endless expanse of fabric was a sinister reminder of the way in which we are constantly dependent on mass produced fashion, yet ironically also use it to express our individuality. This exhibition presents you with images of veiled and unveiled people, talks about personal and public boundaries, and leaves you pondering about what it means, without being told what to think.

Sarah Vanstone 27/11/03