Different cultures experience different (or no) meanings for the same body languages. This project will specifically look at "Finger Quotes" as a very common body language in the United States considering the fact that finger quotes are not part of the Iranian body language at all and they do not carry the same meanings. In Iran, quotation marks are used only in text's format, for titles and names; their purpose is not to emphasize a deeper concept and they are not used as a body language.
We started this project by choosing five universally familiar words; which are: entertainment, comfort, fashion, warmth, and security. Coming from different cultural backgrounds, Bailey (U.S) and Morehshin (Iran) have taken their concepts of the words and have artistically expressed them in their own interpretation.
Bailey created large-scale drawings that serve as her visual interpretation of the five words. The drawings were displayed in public and then photographed. In the photos, the drawings are simple to understand, however they raise special interest and meaning based upon the viewers’ interpretation of the word within the context of the setting. The concept of the drawings is emphasized in the photographs; they serve as an abstract idea of finger quotes.
Morehshin used the words as a way to display and critique the daily life in America. In every picture she has taken, there are fingers of a person which represent the finger quotes' language and an object which displays the specific word.
To broaden the dialogue between their art works, Bailey and Morehshin exchanged their photos. On top of each print they have added a sheet of tracing paper, which served as a translucent cover for them to artistically add to the photo and slightly alter the meaning of the photograph with their cultural perspectives. After completing their project, Bailey and Morehshin extended the dialogue with the Iran team, by sending the words to Iran and inviting them to interpret the words how ever they wish to express.