Frida Kahlo – Artist Investigation Work

React: In this picture I am instantly drawn to the

crimson hearts, the bold red colour grabs my
attention, and leaves me wondering what they are
meant to represent. Looking at the hearts and can see
one is full and one is cut open, this could show how
she feels like there is a hole in her heart, possibly due
to some heart breaking incident. The colours in this
painting pop out at you. Her blood blotched white
dress, leads you to think of a undead bride,
especially with the accented blood marks. The
picture has an eerie feeling to it, and the trailing
veins are dripping blood at a disturbing rate. She
appears to be holding scissors that have torn at her
own organs, suggesting she has done this to herself.

Research: Frida was born in 1904 Mexico, her paintings were mainly
inspired by her life and Mexican culture, she questioned identity as a
whole and mixed fantasy and realism. Frida’s paintings often would
have elements of her life strung in. The photo to the left shows Frida
with her hair cut, and she appears to be holding the scissors in her
hands. This painting was designed shortly after her divorce, and
represents how she, in response to her ex-husband loving her long hair,
cut it. She was a promising medical student however after a traffic
incident, that caused life-long injury, she returned to her childhood
hobby, painting.

Reflect: Her artwork is mysterious, and often has a hidden message. Most of her paintings
are portraits of herself with a twist and
almost all of them evoke an eerie feel. She mixes
fantasy and realism and the end result leaves us
questioning what her painting is. One off her
paintings shows Frida as a Deer with arrows
stuck in her, it is evident this painting must
have a meaning but it is unknown without closer
research what it does represent. Instead it
leaves you feeling abnormal.

Compare And Contrast: Her art is related to almost everything we have done this term,
the surrealness is similar to that of Alberto Giacometti, his portraits are confusing and
strange. David Hockney’s drawings question our identity and the work we did on Kakuma
tells a story. They all link into Frida Kahlo’s work, the mixed reality, identity, and stories,
reflect what we have done this term.

Opinion: I admire Frida’s artwork, because it is different, everything about it screams

strange. Her paintings are complex and can be understood in many different ways. It is not
just about the painting, but also about what it represents. Frida’s paintings tell a story, and
question everything.