Big Picture: The Art of Transparency

“I want Americans to have an opportunity to see Iranians living their everyday lives,” says Thomas Loughlin ’91. That’s why he created pictures of you, a photo installation that features his images of Iranians printed on translucent fabric (shown here on display in Colorado last year). The artist says the translucency of the fabric permits viewers to gauge the reactions of others as they look at the installation. “The fragility of the silk is a reminder of the significant affect that American misperceptions might have on Iranians and on Persian culture. I want viewers to have the sense that something beautiful is in jeopardy,” says Loughlin.