Jacqueline Hassink on Domains of Influence from Aperture Foundation on Vimeo.

Jacqueline Hassink is one of Aperture's favorite photographers. Her work consistently pushes the boundaries of art and its potentialities beyond the purely aesthetic dimension. She repeatedly proves that photography is more powerful than simply a document of outward appearances. Instead, Hassink uses photography to create disarming maps of the subcutaneous power structures behind her subjects. Her most recent book, Car Girls (a key title in our spring 2009 lineup!), is a perfect example of this as it exposes the sexual dynamics of the auto industry's marketing across multiple cultures.

In Domains of Influence: Arab Women Business Leaders in a New Economy, produced in cooperation with the Arab International Women's Forum, Hassink tackles similar elements in a distinctly different environment. Using a strategy that began with Female Power Stations: Queen Bees, in which she juxtaposed the boardroom tables and dining room tables of fifteen Fortune 500 women, Hassink creates unique portraits of thirty-six Arab women from eighteen Arab countries. By capturing the tables of these important women and not their faces, Hassink gives us both an alienated and incredibly intimate view of how her subjects conceive of and project their identities and positions. In turn, as Hassink writes, "This kind of portraiture reveals a great deal about the business women and how people create their work and life environments to reflect their cultures and also their personalities." It is exactly this type of powerful, idiosyncratic approach that has earned her a wide range of admirers. "I have noticed over the years that my work is not only appreciated in the art world but also in other areas of society," notes Hassink. "Architectural, sociological and economic readings have all been welcome contributions to the way I think about the work." With this book Hassink has definitely succeeded, giving her viewers a fascinating document of a world that Westerners don't often gain access to.

Domains of Influence includes excerpted interviews with the subjects; a forword by Haifa Fahoum Al Kaylani, founder and chairwomen of the Arab International Women's Forum; an introduction and interview with Hassink by Charlotte Cotton; and two short essays about Arab women leaders by Nadereh Chamlou and Dr. Heba Handoussa. It is a worthy addition to any library; the only question is under which category to shelve it?—EL

The Arab International Women's Forum is a non-profit networking group dedicating to linking female Arab business leaders, advancing an accurate image of women in the Arab world, and helping to empower the next generation of Arab businesswomen. More information can be found on their website: http://www.aiwfonline.co.uk/