Every Photo Tells a Story

Discussion through works of art encourage how to approach ambiguous and complex ideas, thoughts, and feelings. The MFAH offers a democratic space where students and teachers can develop, practice and articulate these habits of mind. Remember that the quality of the conversation is what is important, not finding the artist’s “answer.” Slow down and take the time to make careful observations. Talk about what you notice, and try to avoid jumping to conclusions and interpretations. Be sure to give enough time for silent looking and thinking.

Work of Art

Abdul Aziz Holding a Photograph of His Brother Mula Abdul Hakim is one of a few photographs included in the exhibition Homelands and Histories: Photographs by Fazal Sheikh that is not a direct portrait of a sitter. Instead, the photograph shows the hand of a man, Abdul Aziz, delicately holding a small, ID photo of his brother, Mula Abdul Hakim, a member of the mujahideen who was killed by pro-communist forces during the Soviet-Afghan war.

 

One of several Cold War era conflicts, the Soviet-Afghan War was fought from 1979 to 1989 between the Democratic Republic of Afghanistan, backed by the Soviet army, and groups of anti-communist guerrilla forces collectively known as the mujahideen who denounced the growing influence of Soviet communism in Afghanistan. The Mujahideen fought to maintain the integrity of Islam in the Pro-Soviet regime. They viewed secular communism as a threat that encroached on the religious values of Islam and attempted to stifle the faith. Members of the mujahideen were revered as valiant martyrs by the country’s anti-communist population who fought for the worthy cause of religious resistance.

 

The blurred, out-of-focus background calls attention to the portrait held between Aziz’s fingers. As a photographic object, the ID photo serves as a final intimate contact Abdul Aziz has with his beloved brother and conveys a sense of the immeasurable loss in Aziz’s life.

 

The photograph is included in Sheikh’s second publication The Victor Weeps (1998), a body of work produced over a two-year period from 1996 to 1998 that documents the lives of Afghan refugees living in Pakistan who were displaced due to conflicts that arose from the Soviet Invasion as well as Sheikh’s own exploration of his ancestry through the lineage of his grandfather, who was born in northern India (now Pakistan).

 

 

The publication marked the first time Sheikh included personal testimonies of his subjects alongside his photographs. In the testimony that accompanies this image, Aziz envisions his brother in a quiet paradise: “In my dreams, he sits beside a pool in a garden silently washing.” Here, Aziz imagines a world fit for his brother that is a respite from the military conflicts that plagued Afghanistan for a decade.

 

With Abdul Aziz Holding a Photograph of His Brother Mula Abdul Hakim, Sheikh engages the capacity of even the most ordinary of photographs to commemorate the lives of those who once lived. The photograph is a tangible, albeit fragile trace of Abdul Hakim’s existence. Abdul Hakim’s photo takes on a significant commemorative function that enables Abdul Aziz to remember and honor his brother. In Aziz’s hands, Abdul Hakim’s humble portrait is a poignant, pocket-size monument to his life and an unfailing reminder of his sacrifice.

Conversation

• Describe the different compositional elements of this photograph. Look at foreground, center and background.

• What areas are sharp and what areas are in soft focus? What effect does this have?

• What is the man’s facial expression?

• What lighting is used here? Is this natural or artificial light?

• What do you think of the color tones of black and white? How would this image be different in color?

• In what country or continent do you think the photograph was taken? Why?

• Describe what is unique about this photograph. Would you describe this as a portrait?

• What is the mood of this photograph?

• < >he title of this photograph is Abdul Aziz Holding a Photograph of His Brother Mula Abdul Hakim. It shows the hand of a man, Abdul Aziz, delicately holding a small, ID photo of his brother, Mula Abdul Hakim, a member of the mujahedeen who was killed by pro-communist forces during the Soviet-Afghan war. Do you think the mood and subject of this photograph convey the background story? Why?

  Given that this photograph refers to the Soviet-Afghan war, what is the impact of naming these two men by their full names? Why do you think the photographer chose to do so?                    

• The photograph is an ID of the sitter’s brother, and we only see the sitter’s hand. What role does the ID portrait have in this photograph? What mood does the composition convey?

• The artist’s photographic process is based on an intimate relationship with his subjects. How is that demonstrated here?

• The publication that this photograph formed a part of marked the first time the artist included personal testimonies of his subjects alongside his photographs. In the testimony that accompanies this image, Aziz envisions his brother in a quiet paradise: “In my dreams, he sits beside a pool in a garden silently washing.” How does the addition of the text function in the context of a photograph?

• Discuss the photograph’s commemorative function.

Subject Matter

Assessment

• Prior to using the conversation starters, ask the following question. What words can be used to describe the photograph? What details in the photograph provide evidence to support those descriptive words?
• After discussing the conversation starters, repeat the above questions. How has in depth observation and interpretation altered and enhanced the initial understanding of the photograph? Has a larger narrative emerged? How has the photographer brought this narrative to life through his camera’s lens?
• Have students bring a photograph of themselves (either alone or with others) that reflects a personal narrative. Compare that photo with their yearbook photograph. What details differentiate the two photographs?  How does a photographer utilize devices (such as cropping, depth, framing, subject’s positioning and gaze) to encourage deeper engagement and reveal a story?

Resources

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