Introduction
Frida Kahlo, through her use of art as a vehicle for social and political comments, has been able to address world events and relevant social, political, economic, and cultural issues of the time. Not only was Frida one of the greatest Mexican artists and painters of all time, but she was also celebrated for her depiction of political and social issues as well as personal issues experienced. It is evident in her artworks, through the use of color and symbolism, that she had experienced great deals of pain, making her artworks so mesmerizing. We clearly see the issues she had been experiencing at the time from miscarriages to mental health which have weirdly been portrayed so beautifully in her artworks, showing art as a useful tool in displaying different issues. The Mexican revolution has begun during Frida’s time, just three years after she was born, creating many life experiences that were both tragic and eye-opening as she witnessed violent struggles in the streets of Mexico City. Feminism and women’s rights were also big issues and political statements at the time and Frida was able to communicate her views on women’s rights through her artworks which helped to start a conversation and bring forward issues she was experiencing as a woman as she depicted the female experience and form.
Biography
Frida was born in Coyoacan, Mexico City, Mexico in 1907 where she grew up in quite a poor family leaving her dealing with the struggles of having little to no money which could have influenced her depressing artworks. Frida’s education was a mix of home-schooling and public schooling but further implications in life meant her education was delayed. Frida was an intelligent woman and this can be clearly shown in her depiction of political and social views in her artworks.
Save your time!
We can take care of your essay
- Proper editing and formatting
- Free revision, title page, and bibliography
- Flexible prices and money-back guarantee
Kahlo was born to a Spanish mother of Native American descent and a German father and Frida explored her identity through artwork as binary opposites; the colonial European side and the indigenous Mexican side. She was heavily influenced by these cultures which is clear in her use of bright colors and dramatic symbolism. For example, in some of her artworks, she used the monkey as a symbol of Mexican mythology. Her works were inspired by the nature of Mexico and traditional Mexican art had been depicted in her work.
At only age 6, Frida suffered from polio which later influenced the depressing tone of her artworks as she began to include dramatic symbolism connecting to her physical health. After being diagnosed with polio and suffering through her childhood years, Frida almost died in a fatal bus accident when she was a teenager. A pole had gone straight through her uterus, losing her ability to produce children contributing to her later miscarriages. She has also suffered multiple fractures to the spine, collarbone, and ribs as well as a shattered pelvis and dislocated shoulder. As she began to recover from these incidents after a total of 30 operations, she found a sudden interest in painting and focused her attention on creating painted pieces.
When Frida got married to Diego Rivera, also a Mexican painter, she experienced a miscarriage which tore her heart completely and influenced the heavy symbols throughout her paintings, for example, the numerous display of newborns and umbilical symbolism.
Frida was of the female gender and often intertwined elements of femineity into her artworks. Many artists who were also women noticed her artistic abilities and looked to Frida as a female role model in art contributing to the increased rate of female artists in Mexico. As a female and open feminist, she also made it legitimate to openly express pain and frustration as many women before Kahlo’s career had taken off, who attempted to communicate their emotions were looked at as hysterical or insane. Frida also had a monobrow and left her hair unshaven as a sign of equality and to express social and political views to do with feminism.
Frida was also very politically motivated as she became a member of the Communist Party of Mexico which influenced her interest in expressing her political views on a canvas. Her painting titled ‘self-portrait with Stalin’’ shows her political views and what was going on in terms of politics at the time.
Life experience is a common theme in Kahlo’s artwork and has influenced many of her well-known paintings and contributed to her vulgar yet intriguing pieces.
Style
Frida experienced five different art periods during her time; surrealism, and cubism. Modern art, symbolism, and magical realism. Frida, however, considered a surrealist painter, denied being a surrealist and did not accept her part in the surrealist movement. Frida developed a naïve folk art style also her to explore her identity as well as gender, class, and race in Mexican society. Frida preferred to paint self-portraits as she felt that it was the best way to discover her identity, supported by her famous quote, ‘I paint myself because I am often alone and I am the subject I know best’. She typically used vibrant colors in her paintings to create more of an attraction and was also heavily influenced by Mexican culture as well as European surrealism.
Themes, issues, philosophies, beliefs, and messages
The themes commonly identified in Frida’s pieced are that of Mexican nationalism and indigenous traditions as well as concepts of feminism. She also includes mental and psychical health as a theme to portray issues she had experienced.
Materials, techniques, and processes used
Frida was an oil painter and most of her artworks were done using oil which consisted of pigments. Most of Frida’s self-portraits were done on Masonite, a commonly used medium for oil painting. Masonite occurs when a smooth canvas is stretched over wooden stretcher boards and before painting, is coated with gesso.
Analysis of artwork
‘Henry Ford Hospital 1932’
Subject matter
The subject represented in this art piece is a miscarriage, more specifically Frida’s own experience with miscarriage. In July 1932, Frida had a miscarriage in which she was rushed to Henry Ford hospital for an abortion to be performed. After this event, Frida was left in a state of deep depression clearly represented in the artwork as we see symbols of blood and negative symbolic connotations. The painting shows the attachment Frida feels to all that surrounds her metaphorically as well as physically alluding to the fact that through connectivity, Frida can be ‘maternal’ even though she is unable to have her own child.
- Cultural, social and historical influences
- Compositional devices, style, materials, and techniques used to create the artwork
- Frida painted this painting with oil on canvas, a familiar technique, and material.
- Symbolic elements of the artwork linked to function and meaning
The painting shows Frida lying on a hospital bed helpless and bleeding. Six different symbolic elements surround her naked body attached to ribbons in her hand, symbolizing umbilical cords. The first element that surrounds Frida is a snail, representing the slowness of the operation. Next to it is a male fetus, as Frida had wished for a son. Next to that is then a pink orthopedic cast for the pelvic area representing her fracture. Below that, a machine and next to it a flower, an orchid to be specifically representing her and Diego’s love, and finally the last element is a pelvic bone.'
Stuck on your essay?
