Limited Visibility

89 Huicholes, 2006,  By Santiago Sierra. 84 black and white portraits.

Initial Response:

                Limited Visibility is an exhibit that emphasizes the effect and meaning behind intentional erasure and omission. The manifestation of these absences varies in each work, and the purpose behind the omission has different intended effects on the viewer. The Curator’s statement explained this exhibit’s impact: “Seer, seen, and unseen come together here to evoke the haunted sensation of searching and looking.” With the curator’s introduction as a guideline for my thoughts, I was able to search for the omission of each piece, and ponder the significance of absence.

                Each work’s omission gave me unique feelings. 97 Housemaids, by Daniela Ortiz, showed pictures collected from Facebook that centered on upper-class Peruvian families. The maids and workers were cut out or in the background. Though not intentional, the pictures depicted a heart-wrenching truth about the relationships between different social classes. Other works were less straightforward and required personal interpretation. A site-specific piece, Unfolded Architecture by Pablo Rasgado, showed a square of deconstruction. The omission of the sheetrock and plywood didn’t have a clear message, but it stirred in me a feeling of loss and impermanence. But perhaps the destruction of the old is necessary for the advent of the new. Other pieces had absent ideas, like the missing labor in Allora & Calzadilla’s sandpaper composition. This could represent a seeming disregard for the months of work the sandpaper was used for. Each piece had a unique message and a clear theme. “Limited Visibility” was a straightforward, but at times challenging concept. As an art novice, I was excited and surprised by the ideas I gleaned from things that were missing.

Visual Analysis:

                The piece that I have chosen to analyze is a collection of 84 black and white photographs by Santiago Sierra. It is called 89 Huicholes, and was made in 2006. Santiago is an artist from Spain, and many of his works express some sort of message for social change. In this piece, Santiago has compiled 84 portraits of members of the Huicholes tribe. These photographs, however, defy the conventional portrait form. The members of the tribe all have their backs to us. We can see the occasional neck, headdress, and hair, but their faces are hidden. Most portraits emphasize the face as the defining feature to be depicted, but Santiago views the back, or omission of the face as a significant representation of the individuals. These portraits are all similar, most with only one subject, but a few with an unseen mother and child. They are all depicted in black and white. This lack of color works to draw the attention to minute differences between each picture. Without distracting colors, the viewer is not overwhelmed by the display, and is able to analyze each individual. Each picture is in portrait orientation, and they are organized into 5 rows. The four top rows each have 17 pictures, but the bottom most row has only 16; there is an empty space in the bottom right corner. This is another example of purposeful omission, in line with the theme of the exhibit.

                In a society that highly values image and exposure, this piece is a culture shock. Viewing pictures that purposely omit the face is surprising, and extremely impactful. Even as we perused the exhibit, phones were out, pictures were being snapped and instantly posted. To look in on the starkly contrasting culture of the Huicholes is humbling. One of the last tribes in North America who still practice their pre-Columbian traditions, the Huicholes are constantly fighting against the government and farmers to maintain their religious practices and ancestral land rights. By having their backs to the viewer, this piece invokes a sense of guilt. Perhaps this is the only thing we ever see of the Huicholes, we live in ignorance of their existence. Could these pictures represent the highest level of exposure that their conditions and culture will ever receive?

                Even from behind, we can see that the subject of each portrait has a unique personality and attributes. This is seen in the way they choose to organize their hair, headdresses, and clothes. Their body position may indicate their psychological or physical condition. The viewer is forced to utilize what they are given to form a complete picture of the individual. Santiago describes this: "The person has to create what the person doesn't see". The viewer is not spoon-fed the picture, they instead must actively pursue the image of the individual. Without the face of the subjects being shown, only so much can be assumed about them. Although the viewer is keenly aware of the subject's individuality, they can't truly know the person from the light that has been captured and displayed. This may represent the tragedy of the unnoticed, unseen. There are people around the world that are unique, special, in need of help, but never noticed. They are never given the opportunity to communicate, be seen, and shown. The Huicholes are in this condition, and Santiago displays this in 89 Huicholes. We need to notice those being oppressed and silenced. We should take a break from absorbing the publicized, and instead actively pursue the things not being shown. By seeking out those whose backs are turned, we can have a positive impact on their lives. By changing our mentality, perhaps we can alter the culture to pursue engagement and active pursuit; as opposed to inactively viewing the things we are shown.

                The empty space in the bottom right corner of this work is another purposeful omission by Santiago. This space is perhaps meant to be filled by the people the viewer knows that are ignored. Individuals or cultures that are bypassed and oppressed, or maybe even the viewer him/herself feels that they would fit in this space. The empty space allows the message of the work to go beyond just the Huicholes. This ignored identity is seen around the world; the oppression of the Huicholes is an example of this universal principle. As I viewed this piece, I thought of the people I ignore and dismiss, and even those who I have never met or heard of, and I added them to this gap.