Symbolism and compositional value
I have been attending lectures about portraiture at the RA, this one was about the acclaimed Mexican female artist Frida Kahlo. I have always been intrigued in her portrayal of herself as a woman, as a part of society and as a female artist at a time ruled by men.
I was intrigued by her use of symbolism in “Time Flies”, painted in 1929.
The use of the clock as a way of storytelling, as linked to the airplane above her head, create an allegorical conversation as a way of describing her longing for her partner Diego Rivera. I also found the symbolism in the familial setting behind her to be of interest: the books, curtains and warm hues used to paint all those elements.
In “Self Portrait on the Border”, painted in 1932, I was intrigued by the symbols such as plants and a sun used as a Voodoo symbol. The roots of plants have been elongated and made apparent in the foreground of the painting, close to a standing Frida. All theses objects contribute to a feeling of self reflection, questioning and longing, all attributes of the self portrait.
In ‘Between the Curtains”, painted in 1937, the artist uses elements of the homely, in this case curtains to frame herself within the painting.
The artist references Andre Breton and Surrealism in “What the Water Gave Me”, 1938. Kahlo uses the water of her bath to reflect her thoughts and dreams. I will aim to investigate and experiment with this way of language. The use of water as a reflecting medium also Brough me back to the work of the impressionists, and the value of mark making in reference to conceptual abstraction and reflections of thoughts.
“The Two Fridas“, painted in 1938 is a painting descriptive of terrible emotional pain and turmoil. It describes the feelings the artist felt when she found out her husband was having an affair with her sister. She is shown wounds, with 2 hearts, showing agony and despair.
“Self Portrait Dedicated to Dr Eloesser”, painted in 1940 I was captured by the necklace she painted herself wearing. It is reminiscent of a crown of thorns, however worn as a necklace around her neck.
In “The Broken Column”, painted in 1944, the artist portrays herself with nails in her skin, showing suffering, a towering yet fragile column is painted inside the core of her body, as it is being held up by a corset. It portrays a time in the artist’s life where she was about to be amputated as a consequence of an accident which’s consequences she had been trying to remedy from a young age.
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