I was walking in Whitechapel today. This place has changed. It remains a place primarily peopled by families from Bangladesh. Very Islamic as it always was. But the change is coming through the influence and cultural imperialism of Saudi Arabian Whahabi Style Islam. All the women are now in black.
Only 8 years ago when I lived close to here, Whitechapel used to be a place filled with the beauty and color of Bangali Style dress, Islamic of course but Bangladeshi style Islam. London's Bengali style Islam was much more fun and flamboyant looking than the newly adopted black of Saudi Arabia. Now often worn with the full face covering, something I never saw back then. Im slightly saddened to see even small children wearing the headscarfs but glad to see this little girl still has pink boots and her mother's face remains uncovered..............
I can't really talk........ Im dressed in black with black sun glasses...........
Great piece of word-image journalism, Jez - beautifully done. I sometimes think I like what you write as much as I like your pictures. And how right you are about Whitechapel, alas. lots of love from Laura[reply]Laura Cumming @ March 9, 2010, 11:45 am
Hey Laura :-))......... Its so funny that you are commenting on my blog .... I was already thinking of you right now...... I am literally just now holding the Ob's reading you as the best bit of the new all singing all dancing Observer Review :-)) I was reading with rapt attention.... Richard Hamilton especially his work from classic photojournalism is of real interest to me. I better get down to the Serpentine :-) ...... Funnily enough today I also read a piece by Philip Gefter of the NYTimes on revisiting US Photo-Realism painters..... Im in that arena today ........
Funnily enough I think your influence is at work on me anyway...... in me making this picture above in the first place....... I've got a lot more interested in the concept of self portrait since dipping into your book........ :-))
Hehehehe..... You are far too kind about my dodgy bits of internet prose beneath my images. :-)) :-)) :-))
Whitechapel......... I was a little down to see all the covered faces and black replacing all the beauty and color of the recent past........ Cultural Imperialism is a concept only normally applied to McDonalds and Hollywood ........ but what seems to have happened to these Bengali people in the East End is as clear a case as I have ever seen....... they seem to have dropped their own culture particularly their dress to pick up the culture and dress of Saudi Arabia. :-(
Cheers love Jez XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX[reply]Jezblog London UK :-)) @ March 9, 2010, 2:12 pm
Women and children are notoriously pegged as the usual initial and prime victims of extremist religious/political practices.
Very interesting photo. How long did you have to wait to get this photo? I know. I know. Standing, sitting, hanging in the right place is an art all itself. ;-)))[reply]Marena Groll @ March 9, 2010, 1:13 pm
Its True........ :-/
Not so long........ not as long as usual...... I think the being in the shot myself..... made me much more self aware and aware of time passing...........
but it was still 10 mins maybe a lot longer.......... :-))
Hey Jez, yeah, what a 'dialogic' photo... Lots to ponedr there. I like the idea of the 'covered' subjects and the loss of identity that is inferred. AND... your own loss (expression?) of identity - also dressed in black, eyes hidden.... And on a meta-level - no longer pointing the camera at the subjects - that would be v. contentious at the moment in our own highly regulated society. And I sit here tapping away on a keyboard in my own 'regulation' jeans and black sweater.... How we all reflect each other??[reply]Steve Marshall @ March 9, 2010, 3:48 pm
Nice posistioning of the word art...You dont want to be hanging around the streets dressed in black mate!!!! If you want to do that,then sounds like you were in the right place...Keep smiling Guv.[reply]Paul S @ March 9, 2010, 5:50 pm
It's the footwear that looks Special Ops. Anything we should know? ;-)[reply]Marena Groll @ March 10, 2010, 1:22 am
More+
I was walking in Whitechapel today. This place has changed. It remains a place primarily peopled by families from Bangladesh. Very Islamic as it always was. But the change is coming through the influence and cultural imperialism of Saudi Arabian Whahabi Style Islam. All the women are now in black.
Only 8 years ago when I lived close to here, Whitechapel used to be a place filled with the beauty and color of Bangali Style dress, Islamic of course but Bangladeshi style Islam. London's Bengali style Islam was much more fun and flamboyant looking than the newly adopted black of Saudi Arabia. Now often worn with the full face covering, something I never saw back then. Im slightly saddened to see even small children wearing the headscarfs but glad to see this little girl still has pink boots and her mother's face remains uncovered..............
I can't really talk........ Im dressed in black with black sun glasses...........
Cheers Jez XXXXXXXXXXXX
www.jezblog.com
[reply]Laura Cumming @ March 9, 2010, 11:45 am
Funnily enough I think your influence is at work on me anyway...... in me making this picture above in the first place....... I've got a lot more interested in the concept of self portrait since dipping into your book........ :-))
Hehehehe..... You are far too kind about my dodgy bits of internet prose beneath my images. :-)) :-)) :-))
Whitechapel......... I was a little down to see all the covered faces and black replacing all the beauty and color of the recent past........ Cultural Imperialism is a concept only normally applied to McDonalds and Hollywood ........ but what seems to have happened to these Bengali people in the East End is as clear a case as I have ever seen....... they seem to have dropped their own culture particularly their dress to pick up the culture and dress of Saudi Arabia. :-(
Cheers love Jez XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
[reply]Jezblog London UK :-)) @ March 9, 2010, 2:12 pm
Very interesting photo. How long did you have to wait to get this photo? I know. I know. Standing, sitting, hanging in the right place is an art all itself. ;-)))
[reply]Marena Groll @ March 9, 2010, 1:13 pm
Not so long........ not as long as usual...... I think the being in the shot myself..... made me much more self aware and aware of time passing...........
but it was still 10 mins maybe a lot longer.......... :-))
Cheers Jez XXXXXXXXX
[reply]Jezblog London UK :-)) @ March 9, 2010, 2:18 pm
[reply]Steve Marshall @ March 9, 2010, 3:48 pm
[reply]Claus Petersen @ March 9, 2010, 4:54 pm
[reply]Paul S @ March 9, 2010, 5:50 pm
[reply]Marena Groll @ March 10, 2010, 1:22 am
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