Eyes Dazzle as They Search for The Truth
Iran
2024
How could the sound of a 35mm-camera shutter attract the attention of a demonstrator in a crowd? It is as if the photographer had used a megaphone and said: “One, two, three, cheese…”, and some people had immediately stared at the lens.
Amin Yousefi positions himself like a detective trying to find suspects in the crowds of revolutionary Iran in 1979. In a traditional shooting context, the photographer decides on a point of view, a staging, by choosing his position and the context of his image. Here, however, the relationship is reversed: the subjects’ gaze is directed straight at the artist, in archive images of demonstrations during the Islamic Revolution. The crowd is looking at the photographer – and not just the other way round, their eyes are turned towards the camera. By isolating the gazes of these anonymous people, Amin Yousefi allows them to become part of history, honouring their desire for immortality.
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About the artist
Born in 1996 in Iran, Amin Yousefi now lives and works in London. He holds an MA in photography from the University of Westminster. His work deals with themes linked to the socio-political landscape: the violent repression of demonstrations in the Middle East, the effects of war and the way in which the photographic act can immortalise history.