Seventeen artists were invited to show their works at the SomArts Cultural Center in San Francisco under a commonality: "East." This exhibition is not just a mere representation of Eastern artists; it represents different stages of exploitation of minorities by western societies. In the context of this exhibition the word "minority" could be seen as a group that is not recognized as "one of us" but rather considered "others" by a dominant group. Oftentimes, art that is produced by the minority is packaged as art that demands the viewers' special understanding, curiosity, and exotic taste. This assumption comes from the notion that there is a fundamental difference between minority art and the art that is created by the dominant group. The recognition of the differences by both of these groups is the exact cause of the demarcation between them.

The notion of a "boundary" needs to be addressed in order to examine the demarcation between two groups. The boundary which is set by westerners to label minority artists as "different" is playing a major role in making a clear distinction between the two groups. In this case, that boundary is functioning as East. Each artist is responding and reacting in different ways to this notion of East in order to work with the boundary, to be aware of the existence of the boundary, or to completely deny the notion of it altogether.

The artists' dominant reaction against the notion of the boundary is called, "safeness." In this stage, artists choose to stay within that boundary, which in turn becomes a safety net for artists to be exploited by existing society without a sense of guilt. Artists who exist within that boundary often accept this circumstance and use it to their advantage; consciously and unconsciously. This is a type of attitude that is expected and welcomed by both groups because it eliminates friction between the two groups. Artists combine the best qualities of the two and present the work as something "exotic" and "different." Ala Ebtekar represents a controversial figure, the president of Iran, Ahmadinejad, as a pop icon in Ahmadinejad Jacket with a touch of humor. Taravat Talepasand expresses the duality of her identity; American and Persian, sensuality and sorrow, past and present, through beautiful graphite self-portraits with influences of Persian miniature drawings. These types of artwork are loved and accepted by westerners because they meet all the criteria of being minority art according to western standards. They are beautiful. They are exotic. They are different and they are fine with being different.

L: Ala Ebtekar, "Koteh Ahmadinejad (Admadinejad Jacket)" R: Taravat Palepasand, "Suicide Is Painless II"

The most controversial reaction against the phenomenon is "awareness." This is a stage where artists are aware of that boundary and make a conscious decision about the placement of their existence within that boundary. Adrian Piper made a clear statement regarding the notion of the boundary in an existing society and an individual's placement relation to that boundary in her piece titled Cornered 20 years ago. Piper incorporated a re-positioning strategy by directly placing society, the viewers, in her position, which is the corner, in order to emphasize that boundary. Amir Esfahani's Step Back is not about juxtaposing "elements of western pop culture with my ancient Persian heritage. It does not focus on coming to terms with my identity in a culture that is so different from my own. It is not about immigration, detainment, or my feelings towards the war in Iraq." The piece is about western artists deeming minority artists as "different." In his piece, all the indigenous looking shields started at the same place. Due to different circumstances, some shields were able to move forward and some of them had to move back. As a result, each shield is functioning and existing in different places with different outcomes. However, regardless of their present placements, the nature of each object remains the same, a shield. Regardless of the artists' geopolitical, social, and cultural background, each artist's work has the right to be viewed as an "artwork" not an "artwork by a specific group." However, it is difficult for viewers to go beyond that boundary once we recognize the difference. Esfahani intentionally dispersed his installation on the floor, and by doing so, the piece is overlapping with other works in the gallery. Quietly and firmly, the piece is commenting on surrounding works. At the same time, the piece is also inviting viewers to take a step back and observe the gallery space itself. Dina Danish is another artist who is aware of the minority's "specificity, certainty, and definition" set by western society. However, the artist is intentionally rejecting the idea of portraying herself as an individual who is "brought up in _____" and is of "_____ descent". She is even refusing to "walk like an ____". In her video piece, "All My Life I Had to Fit Cheese on Toast", she introduces toast as a symbol of convention or norm. By juxtaposing absurd elements with toast, viewers are in position to re-interpret the unconventional uses of the toast. Danish's misrepresentation of her subject matter, toast, is opening a door for viewers to come in and re-exam the "norm" or "conventional meaning" that is set by the dominant society. The act of re-interpretation on misrepresented art needs to be demanded by more people in broader contexts.

L: Amir Esfahani, "Step Back" R: Dina Danish, "All my life I had to fit cheese on toast"

The third option that minority artists have in the midst of exploitation is staying in the state of "denial." This might be a clever way to present oneself in this pre-packaged exhibition by refusing one's identity or by removing oneself from the notion of the boundary itself. Bessma Khalaf talks about objects of desire in a video piece called, "Black Gold." There is no indication of her cultural and political identity in the work itself. She could argue that the work has no relation to her being a minority artist. That might be true. However, regardless of her intention, the work will be read as a part of the "East" in the context of this exhibition. Regardless of the artist's intention, that boundary will be imposed upon the artwork due to society's preconception of looking at the work as "different."

Bessma Khalaf, "Black Gold"

Some artists are perfectly fine with being perceived as different by others. They accept it as a part of their identity. Some artists struggle to be seen as who they are, not who they are supposed to be. Some artists believe their sincere attitude to themselves and their work is more important than how others will perceive their work. It is important to recognize the relationship between an individual's existence, decision-making, and the responsibility that comes with it. In order to fulfill one's purpose, it is vital to examine the placement of one's existence in relation to the "boundary". Whether one is in a state of comfort, awareness, or denial, one needs to recognize where she/he stands in order to take responsibility of their representations.

East of the West will be on view at SomArts Cultural Center through June 17, 2008.