Emily’s was more modeled, sitting on the fountain. All these photos were taken in the same environment but through the editing apps and processes we used, our individuality shined through.
Emily, Skye, and I continued to take photographs and continued to bonded over art up until senior year which is when we had taken Advanced Art together, where we talked more about art. At the end of senior year when we had to choose colleges, Emily and Skye chose MassArt in Boston while I picked Plymouth State University. Although they’re two hours away and in a completely new environment compared to me, we still share photographs we take and ask for opinions on how to create an interesting style within the photo. Photography is a hobby that doesn't necessarily need to be formal. Emily, Skye, and I took photos with our phones in a casual and fun way. Many photographers focus on events like weddings to take pictures at while others take candid photos of strangers. Some photographers enjoy using new cameras while others use old Polaroids or in this case, we used our phones. These pics allowed us to share a little hobby while we were hanging out and also recorded our memories in our own styles. Especially now that we all live in different areas, when we look at these pics we’ll think back to the times where we first began talking and how we started our friendship.
Frida Kahlo: Artist Influence
Frida Kahlo is a
famous Mexican and
German artist. Her
work was greatly
influenced by
her struggles with
physical and mental
illness. She was
diagnosed with Polio at
a young age and Spina Bifida which caused her to have leg and back problems. She married a famous artist, Diego Rivera who she later found to be disloyal, creating a rocky relationship. Most of her paintings illustrate symbols that were connected to her current situation. Kahlo was considered a surrealist painter because of her unordinary and disturbing concepts she incorporated in her work. She would use her personal experiences to reach out to her audience. I enjoy her work because without worrying about other people’s opinions, she expressed her feelings in her paintings and addressed what she wanted to address. In “Self Portrait With Thorn Necklace and Hummingbird,” Kahlo painted objects that had meaning to her and expressed her emotion through the mood on her face. Her paintings were her outlet and release from her pain that she suffered physically and mentally and through this, she was able to create a name for herself.
Throughout Kahlo’s collection of pieces, she conveys a sense of struggle in her own surrealistic style. Her paintings included personal feelings involving her health and political issues addressing war and her culture. Her paintings together could be considered a timeline. She would paint things as they occurred. Her paintings that focused on her health explored the many symptoms that went on with her condition which included her back brace, her longing for a child, and as she grew sicker, her being bedridden until her final days. Kahlo’s other paintings were greatly “influenced by indigenous Mexican culture…” which included her specific animals she included in her work and the use of color (Biography of Frida Kahlo). Through Kahlo’s symbolic elements contained in her paintings, she was able to express and share her feelings.
Frida Kahlo is most known for her symbolic elements in her work. One famous piece she worked on was called “Self Portrait With Thorn Necklace and Hummingbird” where she included specific animals and components in the piece that express her emotions. The monkey is included in many works done by Kahlo which symbolizes protection and security. The black cat represents death and how it haunts her when dealing with her illness. The thorns, in this source, stand for “Christ's unraveled crown of thorns...that digs into her neck, signifying her self-representation as a Christian martyr and the enduring pain from her failed marriage”(Frida Kahlo Biography) while others may interpret the thorns representing physical pain. Birds indicate freedom and life while the black bird around her neck shows lack of freedom from her husband and their relationship, from her illness, and her inability to have children, therefore resulting in her lack of living. Her expression on her face represents her overall struggle in life and draws the audience in. These elements create Kahlo’s signature style within her paintings and add a deeper meaning to all of her paintings.
I believe art should convey something important or make someone feel a certain way. Concepts are not an essential part in art, in fact many artists just like to paint what they want with no need for explanation, but art can be a powerful form of communication. When I create my artwork, I make it personal or able to be related to the viewers. Most of my pieces include people that I am close with or elements that can relate to my life. I painted an oil painting called “Through an Artist’s Eyes” which had my hands ready to paint on a clean canvas and in the background were past artworks hanging on the wall. This painting had personal elements being my hands and my past artwork I’ve completed. I enjoy painting pieces that are personal so when I look back on them, it’s looking at the growth I’ve made in my style as well as looking back on old memories. My artwork, similar to Frida Kahlo’s work, included a purpose. The purpose was in the idea, the composition, the objects, as well as the color choice and the techniques. Artists have visual power to capture the audience’s attention and spread awareness on issues or even to spark emotion in someone.
I love Kahlo’s work for the way she can make someone feel. When I look at her work I’m able to understand her pain that she suffered through her life. Her artwork doesn’t show her pain in a straightforward way since she uses cats and monkeys to represent her struggles but that’s what I like about it. Her artwork is strange and different and is almost like solving a math equation, only in art terms. You have to see her collection of works to understand her patterns in symbols and understand the meaning behind her pieces. I enjoy looking at Kahlo’s work because although some paintings may seem realistic and normal, there’s meaning behind every color applied or every object created. Frida’s work captivated the public through her decisions in including specific objects and the emotion she was able to portray.