Illustrator Self Portrait

3 women artist comparison

Frida Kahlo’s work consists of her pride in her culture. Focusing on self-portraits, she often shows symbols that portray the hardships she encountered in life. Her paintings are surreal, often sharing stories about her pain. Her face shows a strong emotion, giving the viewer almost an eerie feeling. Because she suffered many hardships in life, she is shown to be a strong woman.

Just as Kahlo uses herself in her artwork, Marina Abramovic also uses herself as a focus of her artwork through photography. Specializing in performing arts, she challenges herself to create photographs that are significant in her life. The physical aspects of her performances are the bases of her work. One of her portraits, Happy Christmas, shows herself in distraught and somewhat unpleasing to look at. As she is undergoing a separation from her husband, she felt it was important to show a personal side of her life to share with the viewers. Many women can share the experience of the pain of separation.

Cui Xiuwen also focuses herself in her work, though she takes a very different approach in her style. Xiuwen projects the societal roles that area prevalent in China. She displays herself surrounded by women and the hardships they go through. She uses very vibrant colors, though the women seem very islolated.

The artists all evoke a different, but strong emotion in each piece. All three communicate with the viewer in their own styles.

Illustrator Excercise 1 (icon)

Photoalteration Project 1

Project 1: Photo Alteration

Inherited Traits: Gallery Response

Inherited Traits, the new art exhibit, included the relationship of families. I found Nina Katchadourian’s Genealogy of the Supermarket very humorous. I enjoyed seeing everyday name brands and looking how each member was matched up. The frames give the viewer a more personal touch, rather than viewing the icons as just advertisement. Katchadourian’s Accent Elimination is an interesting piece that shows Nina and her parents projected on 6 screens. Showing their efforts to imitate each other, Katchadourian’s intention is to show the importance of the cultural inheritance. The Nightgown Pictures creates a more personal touch by adding photographs of her mother, as she grew older. Revisiting the locations, she tries to represent her grandmother’s creative aspect. Heidi Kumao’s Transplant depicts Japanese Americans who were forced to camps in World War II. I thought it was amazing how she uses the projector to reflect different images by using the jar and paper onto the screen. Trace also uses the same method, depicting the struggling life Frederick Douglass lived during the time of slavery. Her Translator is mechanically built, showing a girl (composed of a bowl shaped body) in the middle going back and fourth between her nagging parents. Two different projections are emitted on the girl to enact the dispute between their relationships. I admired the fact that she did not hide the mechanics, but rather overly exposed them to show the complicity of girl’s situation. All of these works show the essence of family in a creative, unique way.

Response to Other Responses

When reading over the responses of the artists, I noticed that many people observed the same details about the artist’s style. Crewsdon was noted for his surrealistic photographs and his ability to capture great lighting. Many began to question the picture, which Crewsdon intended to do. While some found his work unsettling, I enjoyed the thought process and meaning behind his work.

Hock’s photographs were found humorous to many people and are noted for his surreal and entertaining qualities. I also enjoyed his work, for they were humorous, yet they depicted obstacles that people face through life.

Many commented on Wall’s intention to depict social tensions. While some thought his photos were too staged, some found them unique. I was too skeptical when I saw his work, but after reading into detail about his motives, I began to appreciate his works.

Sherman’s photos gave a classic look by using black and white photography. Instead of using color as an aid, she voided color completely, which actually strengthened her work. Many noticed her intention to depict feminism in her photographs, though some thought they were too similar to magazine ads.