Artist in Focus: Frida Kahlo, Essay Example

Self Portraits and Their Meaning. Artist in Focus: Frida Kahlo

Presenting myself to my audience is my way of showing them who I am through my art. My being as a painter and as a woman is virtually presented through the self-portraits that I create and strongly believe that each portrait I make, I am able to establish a notable presentation of who I really am. The messages I send through these works allow me to show a piece of what I am, how I feel and how I think. As an artist, I see myself to be evolving through time. The experiences I pass through each year make up the reality of my being. Being a person of culture, I consider myself to be liberalized through the traditions that I have known through time.

Born through the reestablishment of new Mexico, I have seen my country transform from a nation with indigent people to a society that defines themselves alongside the tides of modern living. This is perhaps the reason why I am more accustomed to reestablishing my faith and my customs under the traditions of the old Mexican culture. Perhaps not seeing the ancient Mexican culture affecting the society I have been brought up into increased my desire to be more acquainted with such a rich and historic past. Being a feminist and all, I also consider my art and my conditions of painting to be a representation of what a woman is and how a woman is supposed to deal with the society that she is living in. This is the reason why my self-portraits often have particular additional elements that define my thinking and emotion during the time I was completing each work. In each work, I present myself as a woman and as a Mexican desiring to be understood by people living around me.

In this portrait I have created in 1926, I present myself as a native Mexican woman with all the authenticity of being a native of my country. The dark background is supposed to bring out the primary essence of the etched designs that specifically feature the natural art of the Mexican history. The designs in my clothing define the detailed ingenuity that Mexicans are known for both then and now. A serious façade represents the emotional bearing of Mexican women specifically grounded on solid feelings especially in relation to how we, as women, are respected within the Mexican society as part of a long time culture of my people.

In the portrait shown at the right portion ], I present myself to be unified with the different elements of nature. The utilization of nature-blended colors define this particular message and the animals surrounding me defines how close I am to nature. Quite political in presentation, I use the branches of the tree ringed around my neck as a representation on how the Mexican culture has long been grappled by the new principles of modernity that is slowly eating up the genuine appeal of the Mexican culture that it is supposed to leave as mark upon its people.

Finally, the portrait shown on the left section of this presentation represents the way I was feeling when I had my divorce in 1939. The two Fridas particularly represent how I felt when I was left to be free by my husband and how I began to accept reality and specifically realized that the freedom given to me was more of a gift than a curse of losing the one I love to divorce.

True, through the years, my desire to present myself to my audience comes from the different angles of my experiences. Knowing that there are other people who are like me and are experiencing situations like I do, I consider my art as a representation of the reality that defines humanity and womanhood. My art is a reflection of not only what I am and what I have become through the years. It also represents how women are able to face the different daunting experiences of their lives, how Mexicans are able to contend with the changes happening in the society and basically how humans respond to the different challenges that are presented to them by the chance of life itself.

Other samples of my work continue to echo a single message, humans ought to be understood and heard in no matter what kind of medium they choose to express themselves. As a woman, I was able to define myself as a person who is able to manifest my thinking through my art. Personally, I do consider such matter as a gift to define my being through the work of my hands and the implications of my mind.

References

Nericcio, William Anthony. (2005). A Decidedly ‘Mexican’ and ‘American’ Semi[er]otic Transference: Frida Kahlo in the Eyes of Gilbert Hernandez.

Tibol, Raquel (original 1983, English translation 1993 by Eleanor Randall) Frida Kahlo: an Open Life. USA: University of New Mexico Press.

Zamora, M. (1995). The Letters of Frida Kahlo: Cartas Apasionadas. Chronicle Books .