Non Western Art: Mexican Art Exhibit
I am a major fan of Frida Kahlo's art, so how could I possibly create all these blogs and not pay homage to her artistic genius. I chose to highlight some of the famous Mexican artists for my Non Western blog. The paintings that I have shared are based on some that I have seen and some that I found to be interesting. 
1. Frida Kahlo
This painting is called The Broken Column and was created by Frida Kahlo in the year 1944. It is located in the Museo Dolores Olmedo. Frida Kahlo created this painting using the medium oil on masonite. She created this painting after having surgery on her spinal column. This surgery was extensive and left her bedridden where she was “enclosed” "in a metallic corset"(Google Arts & Culture). The metal corset was supposed to help "alleviate the intense, and constant pain she was in"(Google Arts & Culture). In the painting she is "depicted standing in the middle of a completely arid, cracked landscape"(Google Arts & Culture). As you can see her "torso is encased in metal belts lined with fabric that provide pressure and support for her back"(Google Arts & Culture). Google Arts & Culture stated that "they help to prevent her body from collapsing, a possibility which is announced by the image running down the middle of her torso". Frida Kahlo portrayed herself herself in her art because "she was always alone and because she herself was what she knew best"(Google Arts & Culture).
AestheticThere a completely fractured Ionic column on the verge of collapsing shown in the middle of her torso which "has replaced her spinal column"(Google Arts & Culture). I feel this was done intentionally to give a visual representation of what her spine looks like. Frida's face suggests to me that she is in immense pain. However, "it doesn’t reflect a sign of pain"(Google Arts & Culture). The attitude she is presenting in this painting "is the one she always showed to life itself: strong and defiant to the viewer"(Google Arts & Culture). Her body is covered in nails ranging from small to large to show the viewer her pain. The nails piercing her body are "a symbol of the constant pain she faced"(Google Arts & Culture). The largest nails are shown in the middle of her torso along the column. She did this to "mark the damage caused by the accident in 1925" and "those adhering to her left breast refer rather to an emotional pain, to her feeling of solitude"(Google Arts & Culture). The use of these rough jagged lines shows turmoil and anxiety while the vertical lines like in the column suggests height and strength. This to me suggests that Kahlo was going through a rough time but found strength within herself to not let this accident stop her from living, or painting as you can see in this image of her in bed.I love how Frida lets her viewers get a sense of what she is feeling through her paintings. You can empathize with her, which is very powerful in paintings.
2. Rufino Tamayo
This painting is called Tres Personajes and was painted by Mexican Modernist artist Rufino Tamayo in the year 1970 and is located in New York. The painting is considered to be an example of Tamayo's "mature style" (Wikiart). It is an abstract depiction of a "man, a woman and an androgynous figure in a rich palette of purple, orange and yellow"(WikiArt). It also includes Tamayo's signature "rough surface texture, made of sand and ground marble dust mixed into the paint"(Wikiart). The painting was purchased by an anonymous Houston, Texas resident in 1977. It was stolen from a storage warehouse in 1987, but was found in the trash in November, 2003 by New York resident Elizabeth Gibson (Wikiart).
This painting is called Tres Personajes and was painted by Mexican Modernist artist Rufino Tamayo in the year 1970 and is located in New York. The painting is considered to be an example of Tamayo's "mature style" (Wikiart). It is an abstract depiction of a "man, a woman and an androgynous figure in a rich palette of purple, orange and yellow"(WikiArt). It also includes Tamayo's signature "rough surface texture, made of sand and ground marble dust mixed into the paint"(Wikiart). The painting was purchased by an anonymous Houston, Texas resident in 1977. It was stolen from a storage warehouse in 1987, but was found in the trash in November, 2003 by New York resident Elizabeth Gibson (Wikiart).
Aesthetic
I love the style of this painting by Tamayo. I love the bold color choices of this painting. The red stands out beautifully combined with the purple and the purple allows that yellow design in the middle to not be lost among the other colors. The use of curved lines to me seems to be around where the purple colors are suggesting calm and comfort, while the red is used as maybe strength considering the use of thick vertical lines of red shown in the middle. I also enjoy how crazy this painting looks, yes there are three figures, but I can't make an accurate choice on where exactly the woman is. This honestly made me stare at the painting even more appreciating the repetitive shapes even his signature rough texture, which to me adds more dimension to this otherwise flat painting.
3.Diego Rivera
This painting is called Murales de la Industria de Detroit and translates to Detroit Industry murals. It was created by Diego Rivera in 1932-33 and is located at the Detroit Institute of Arts. This painting is a 27 panel fresco mural. Rivera arrived days after a famous Hunger March. During this Hunger March "thousands of unemployed workers walked from downtown Detroit to the gates of the Ford Motor Company River Rouge plant to demand employment"(KhanAcademy). This action sparked "Armed Ford security guards" to panic to the point where they "shot into the marchers and killed six people"(KhanAcademy). This end result was known as the "Battle of the Overpass"(KhanAcademy). The workers were "shut out of the Ford factories, but Rivera put them to work in the heart of the museum"(KhanAcademy).
3.Diego Rivera
This painting is called Murales de la Industria de Detroit and translates to Detroit Industry murals. It was created by Diego Rivera in 1932-33 and is located at the Detroit Institute of Arts. This painting is a 27 panel fresco mural. Rivera arrived days after a famous Hunger March. During this Hunger March "thousands of unemployed workers walked from downtown Detroit to the gates of the Ford Motor Company River Rouge plant to demand employment"(KhanAcademy). This action sparked "Armed Ford security guards" to panic to the point where they "shot into the marchers and killed six people"(KhanAcademy). This end result was known as the "Battle of the Overpass"(KhanAcademy). The workers were "shut out of the Ford factories, but Rivera put them to work in the heart of the museum"(KhanAcademy).
Aesthetic
I grew up in Detroit and have been fortunate enough to see this mural in person. As a child seeing this was absolutely amazing. My favorite part (mostly because it was eye level) is the middle. It told a sotry of men working hard in a factory. In the foreground you see several men working together to pull this cart looking thing and are different shades some black and some white insinuating that they are working harmoniously together not caring about the color of their skin. The style of these men are repeated either they are in overalls or pants with the shirt tucked in each wearing blue, white, tan, or an olive green. I think this was done intentionally to create a uniformed look to the mural. The higher up you look you see a single male silhouette with this fire behind him like he is melting metal. Each portion of the mural tells a separate story but come together to make this amazing mural. As an adult, I appreaciate the mural as a whole. I provided a link to Khan Academy so you all can see the rest of the mural parts: https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/art-1010/latin-america-modernism/mexican/a/rivera-detroit-industry-murals
References:
I am Hispanic descent and I almost chose Mexico for Non-Western blog. Thank you for choose Mexico. The Broken Column is powerful artwork to me because I can see emotions in Frida Kahlo’s face. I could not image what it feels to wear a metal corset and be in a lot of pain. I was surprised that Kahlo keep on painting even though she was bedridden. There are a lot of horizontal lines and that mean distance to me. I feel that Kahlo was focus on distance of her pain and being trapped by the metal corset.
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