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Beyond the Lone Islands

http://dawntreader-island2.blogspot.com

Tuesday 8 June 2010

Portrait

 2010 06 04_Hani collage_2

DSCN6318-2

Hani by Anne-Karin Furunes

Another piece of art which is included in the Sculpture Festival.

Anne-Karin Furunes is a Norwegian artist known for using perforation technique. Her works are based on photographs, but consist of a perforated black or white canvas (or sheet of metal). Most frequently the image is an extreme close-up of a face. As one approaches the image, it begins to fade and ultimately disappear.

This picture has been up on that wall for a while – perhaps a year? I never heard anyone comment on it. To me it is kind of thought provoking that the place they have chosen for it is on the back wall of our public swimming hall.

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In my childhood, we had some immigrants in my school and neighbourhood, but they all came from other European countries. Most of them from Finland, but also some from Eastern and Southern Europe. There were some language difficulties, but they did not look or dress different. I can only remember one case where religion became an issue. During my first few school years in the 60s we went to school also on Saturdays. Then one day we got a Jewish boy to the class, who could not attend school on Saturdays because that for him was the Sabbath. I don’t remember how they solved it. Extra homework I suppose…

Our society has become a bit more international since then. Women wearing headdresses of Muslim kind for example is no longer an uncommon sight in our streets. It is still an issue in some jobs though, whether employees should be allowed to wear veils or turbans.

A few years ago when I had to go to the emergency room at the hospital, one of the doctors that took care of me was wearing a veil like the one in the picture. I think that was the first time I saw any medical staff wearing it. I have to say in that particular situation it did not matter to me what anyone looked like, only if they could help!

Language can be a real problem though. We get a lot of foreign doctors. I’m sure most of them are excellent at their job, and we should be grateful that they want to come and work here (or else we should find ourselves –even more- short of doctors). Nonetheless, it is problematic when doctor and patient can’t understand what the other is saying. My last experience of that was my visit to the eye clinic recently. There was this doctor with a foreign accent, and he kept asking me something over and over which I just completely failed to understand because of his pronunciation. I think we both felt equally stupid. Luckily there was another doctor who was there on some kind of internship – she stepped in and acted as “interpreter”…

I have no idea where I’m going with all this – nowhere at all really. Looking at the portrait just sent my thoughts out on a ramble…

Probably means it’s a good piece of artwork!

4 comments:

Ginny Hartzler said...

This is amazing, I've heard of this perforation tecnique before. I love the way you show how it isn't as sharp from closer. I'm not getting the connection with the swimming pool, though. Yes, we have many foreign doctors here, and several that I have so much trouble understanding!! We have a lot of Spanish and Muslim people. There are so many Spanish people here that we even have special T.V. shows for them, soap operas and cartoons! It is wonderful to be multi-lingual like you are. But it is so very hard to learn another whole language.

DawnTreader said...

Ginny - Sorry, I suppose I kind of lost the thread there with the swimming pool. It was obvious to me in my own head... A woman wearing a veil in public will not be using the swimming pool, with both men and women bathing at the same time (and wearing a minimum of clothes).

California Girl said...

I'm sending this post to my spousal unit. He prints his photographs on metal so he'll greatly appreciate the approach she takes. plus, what a neat idea: the face disappears as you get close. I get it.

MadSnapper said...

the art is incredible, to be able to do that with little holes. i love it as i do most of the art you post. about the Jew not going on Saturday, do you have school on Saturday? ours is Mon/Friday
this is very thought provoking. and we have the same problems here with doctors and other offices and business where we have trouble commuincating.

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