Self-Portrait Final Project

The Two Halves of Me, Julianna Menjivar-Sanchez

The Two Halves of Me, Julianna Menjivar-Sanchez

My Nurse and I, Frida Kahlo

   

The Broken Column, Frida Kahlo

For my self-portrait final project, I decided to paint myself which was inspired by Frida Kahlo. The title of my project is called “The Two Halves of Me”. I was inspired by Frida’s work in “The Broken Column” and “My Nurse and I”. After my first self-portrait project, I knew I still wanted to do work that was based on her work and instead do a painting that resembled hers just like in the “The Broken Column”. I wanted to tackle the image of the reality of motherhood, but yet still somehow covering it up. So with that came to mind, doing a nude half body showcasing the hardships of motherhood, and the other half showcasing just me cleaned up and covering myself. 

For this project, I used a canvas, a pencil, brushes, water, and acrylic paint. This project took roughly about 4-5 hours to complete. I first sketched out what I wanted to do using free-hand, then I started to paint the background, then the body, then the face, and then the little details throughout the painting. 

For this painting, I wanted to defy the male gaze through the truth of motherhood. At first I was contemplating whether or not I wanted to do a nude portrait but then I felt it would better fit the theme of Frida’s inspiration. While growing up, my mom had paintings of Frida around the house. I remember seeing paintings of “The Broken Column”, “Frieda and Diego Rivera”, “Self-Portrait with Thorn Necklace and Hummingbird”, etc. Her work has always stood out to me. I sometimes would even be confused on why my mom would have nude paintings hanging on our walls, but now I see why she was so in love with Frida. With that, came this work I painted. I did at first, a self-portrait like Frida does of herself in most of her work. Then while looking at the painting of “The Broken Column”, I was thinking in what ways can I showcase the reality of motherhood? So then I decided looking at pictures of mothers and I saw: stretch marks, moms with caesarean cuts from delivery, the pain of breastfeeding, and even birth control. So with that, I added blood in the c-section cut with staples, the stretch marks on the hips, stomach, breasts and arms, blood in the nipple and breastmilk, and lastly the incision and bruising on the arm from the birth control, which I personally have. While still on this half, I wanted it to portray the “dark side”, so when I was looking at the painting of “My Nurse and I”, I saw Frida painted the background as if it was raining, but the rain was milk. From that, I decided to make my background dark with clouds and as if it was raining blood to show the pain and blood mothers go through. The "bloody" rain is also hitting the dirt, and the blood is trying to "water" the dirt to grow. On my face, I painted as if I was happy. I was copying a photo I had taken, and in the photo I was showing teeth while smiling, but I decided to just show a tight-lipped smile to resemble Frida’s. On the motherhood side of the face, I also added tears to resemble sadness even though I am smiling. On the other half of the painting, it represented the good side of me. I’m covered a button-up shirt, smiling, and with a sunrise background and flowers growing from the grass. To me, this side represents the truth that we cover to show we are strong and growing. 

Some quotes I would like to relate to my painting is as follows:

A quote from the NY Times article, “Frida Kahlo Was a Painter, a Brand Builder, a Survivor. And So Much More.”, states, “But Kahlo did not conceal her pain, revealing her casts and leather braces with metal buckles in her work and turning her plaster corsets into art with elaborate designs of flowers, even a hammer and sickle. “She treated these second skins as canvases,” Ms. Small said.”" This quote to me sticks out because I can relate it to my painting and how even with so much pain and blood throughout one half of me, it is still accompanied by flowers. Our body is our canvas and it tells a story of what we have gone through throughout our lives. 

Another quote from the NY Times article is, “People have described her as broken and fragile, but she was strong and accomplished a tremendous amount in her lifetime.” This quote shows how in Frida’s painting, she always showing the life that is filled with pain and brokenness, but it doesn’t demonstrate her weakness, it demonstrates her strength because she embraced all of who she is and showed the world. Her artwork brought a lot of attention to who she was as a person and the strength she built throughout all the difficulties she went through physically and emotionally. And I feel with that, it is also showcased in my painting because the reality of motherhood does not signal weakness, it signals the strength we go through to make sure the child we birthed is healthy, even if sometimes we do not feel like it.

For my last quote, from the NY Times, it states, “Neither her disabilities from polio and a bus accident, nor her frequent relapses of pain deterred Kahlo.” I love this quote because again, it shows her strength as a woman. She did not let her pain and disabilities define her as a person- it was not her identity. It was the type of woman she was by getting back up and being strong to continue doing what she loved. And I feel this message is conveyed through my painting because even though we, as mothers, go through so much raising our children, we still put on our strong suits to tackle any and everything that comes our way and to make sure our family is good.

The differences in this final self-portrait and the others is that I used paint instead of print-outs to represent myself. This project took longer than the other ones. The first one was a series of photos of myself, the second one was a video including my son and myself, the third one was a collage of myself, and for this final one I wanted to have it different and paint myself. The only similarity in each of the self-portraits I have made is that they relate to motherhood, which is a huge part of who I am. I feel as if I have pushed myself and learned from each of the artists we have discussed in class, and now appreciate art more than I have before. This class has helped me realize how much I appreciate my identity as a mother and as a woman in a world that is always looking and judging.

Citation:

Kleinman, R. (2019, January 31). Frida Kahlo was a painter, a brand builder, a survivor. and so much more. The New York Times. Retrieved December 6, 2022, from https://www.nytimes.com/2019/01/31/arts/design/frida-kahlo-booklyn-museum.html 

SELF-PORTRAIT FINAL PROJECT

 

Mass Communication

Topic: Evolution/History of Media/Mass communication

The content of my project is about mass communication history or evolution using artistic features or skills I have learned from Mickalene Thomas, Cindy Sherman, Ana Mendieta, and so on. Different creative works or paint influenced my decision to use a clock to discuss the evolution of mass communication or media communication over the years. My project is about mass communication, and I intend to discuss how modern technology has changed or influenced the media.

My work could be categorized as a graphic print, and the reason why I chose this medium to discuss or present my project is that it simply my project and shows my ability to apply everything I learned in the last few weeks. Before deciding to use graphic print to present my idea or project, I first concluded on the project I intended to write on. After making the decision to write on the evolution of mass communication over the years and how modern technology has changed or influenced mass communication, I began to think of how to simplify my idea. Since my project is about the development of mass communication, I thought of using a chart or graphical presentation. Still, through imagination and mediation, I arrived at a juncture. Art can simplify and entertain the audience. This ideology made me use a clock to portray my idea of the evolution of mass communication.

Many artists discussed in class inspired me, especially Frida Kahlo, Cindy Sherman, Amy Sherald, and Kehinde Wiley. Most of their work is on paint or drawing. To draw or paint requires exceptional imagination and meditation skills. Seeing different pictures or paintings from all these artists made it easy for me to develop my drawing and project. 

When a viewer first sees the self-portrait, the thought that crosses their mind is, 'this is a wall clock.' However, after a steady look at the portrait and content, the audience or viewers can deduce the information I am trying to pass across. The audience will understand that the author is trying to explain how mass/media communication has evolved over the years (1440 – 1997). The audience will have a graphical explanation of the transformation of mass communication until today's digital images. My first self-portrait was able to disadvantage modern technology, cellphones using artist display, while the current self-portrait is about the history of mass communication using a wall clock. Both ideas and concepts differ, but I prefer my contemporary self-portrait idea. This change is because of my exposure to and understanding of artistic work. The more artist work I see, the more thought I gather. Gathering more ideas helps improve my creativity and enhance my imagination skill. My ability to produce a more creative self-portray reflects pushing myself and learning from the artists we discussed in class. The media helped shape my self-presentation as I could sample different ideas across the internet. Mass communication has evolved from the use of books, magazines, billboards, radio, film, and television to the social network era. Although some of the inventions are not outdated, modern technology has transformed or improved their usage.

Where I Come From and Who I Am - Self Portrait Final

 

    I decided for my project to look back into the past and reminisce on all the lessons I have learned about Cuba and my family. I did this by doing a mini series of my looking at artifacts and giving a cheer per say in honor of the things I have that relate to me and to my family's past. I was inspired by the stories that were recently being told about my late grandfather and my mom and dad’s past. I also took inspiration through Carrie Mae Weems and her dinner table series. Carrie Mae Weems series really bolstered my inspiration as I also am at my dinner table and looking back on the past and seeing what's to come as well. “Everyone can relate to this work,” Everyone can relate the table being a place of peace and calmness or the complete opposite. I wanted to show what was going on in my head while I was hearing these stories. All the artifacts hold a special meaning to me as they all tell a story. The subject of my series is the stories and lessons that artifacts can tell and how those stories are important in history and how you leave a mark on the world. I chose to do a mini series because I felt that was the best way I could give my thoughts to you. I wanted to show you what I was thinking about in my head when my parents were telling me stories about their past and how I was relating to them. 

    Just to go through some of the artifacts I chose, I went with some old Cuban tequila and ron, which Cuba is historically known for. I chose artifacts like a dolphin to represent the Cuban Marina which is a tourist attraction in a Boat trip way. I also chose various framed photos of important people such as my grandma and my mom which are very important to me. An artist that also inspired me a lot this semester was Ana Mendieta. She was Cuban and came to the United States as an immigrant through a program that gave Cuban children a start in the US for better opportunities. That is what my parent’s did by immigrating to the US and giving me a better life and more opportunity to succeed.“My art is grounded in the belief of one universal energy which runs through everything: from insect to man, from man to specter, from specter to plant, from plant to galaxy. My works are the irrigation veins of this universal fluid. Through them ascend the ancestral sap, the original beliefs, the primordial accumulations, the unconscious thoughts that animate the world” This quote stuck out to me because her art has her parent’s signature all over it and that is what I wanted to do with my mini series self portraits. The mini series helps the audience understand that there is a story behind everything in art. That is also something that I have learned recently, there are many meanings to different things in art and we need to have an open mind and be free to understand them.     

    The difference behind my mini series and the portraits is that I am including artifacts that have real life meaning and being from a place such as Cuba only brings more light onto these artfacts. I would say I did push myself because I am not a photo genetic person and decided this was a great time to show another side of me. Our perceptions of ourselves and others are altered by the media information we are exposed to. The beliefs that the media espouses have a significant impact on young people. In practice, there are many different interpretations of what is lovely, seductive, attractive, and appropriate in the media.  “ Art is the one place we all turn to for solace. We turn to it constantly, whether you are listening to music, or pop in a film; you want to escape reality “. This Carrie Mae Weems quote spoke to everything I wanted to do in the series and I hope you enjoy it.

Final Self Project- Shield

 

                        

                                                                           "Shield"

Final Self Project

For my final self project I was inspired by Yoko Ono and Kehinde Wiley. Every artwork that Yoko Ono does has a special meaning to her or a significant message, like her art performance called Cut Pieces. This particular art performance addresses sexual violence in public display and the protests against the war. She used art as an outlet to express her feelings and ideas by using her personal experiences. The Cut piece demonstrates a woman alone with a pair of scissors on stage dressed in a suit and she allows people to come on stage and cut a piece of her clothing. Here Yoko Ono demonstrates the importance of consent and giving freely. The artist’s body is hers and hers alone, she does not belong to anyone but herself. 

Kehinde Wiley artworks often feature decorative backgrounds with floral, nature inspired, and other colorful patterns. These elements surrounding the person help outline the one being painted. His artworks address topics such as politics of race and power in art. Wiley’s protraits are of people of color because he wants to represent people of ark skin in the art world. The art world lacks the representation of the power that people of color have. He often paints young black men and women with patterned backgrounds and historical poses to show men and women in fields of power. For my final self project I decided to paint the shield of the Ecuadorian Flag. My self project painting represents the importance of my culture. Both of my parents come from the country side and I wanted the trees surrounding the shield to represent where my parents come from and our background.

The shield has many different elements to it and each has its own representation. The steamboat represents the first steamboat to be sailed in Latin America first built in the shipyards of Guayaquil, which traveled along Ecuador’s Guayas River. The volcano is called Chimborazo the highest volcano of Ecaudor, its perpetual snow the source of the Guayas River. The sun signifies gold, surrounded by astrological signs for Aries, Taurus, Gemini, and Cancer which represents the months of March through July and symbolizes the duration of the March Revolution of 1845. The colors of the flag are yellow, blue and red. The red represents the blood shed by the soldiers of the battles of Independence who fought for freedom and justice. The yellow symbolizes the grain, mineral wealth and fertility of the harvests and the land. The blue color symbolizes the sky, sea, and rivers. The Andean Condor symbolizes the power, greatness, and strength of Ecuador.

1. “As a part of society it is specifically the sector which concentrates all gazing and all consciousness.” Spectacle illustrates that reality is presented to us in an everyday manifestation.

2. “The Spectacle is not a collection of images, but a social relation among people, mediated by images.” Images such as advertising, television, film, and digital photos. The spectacle is an instrument used to attract an audience’s attention or curiosity. The spectacle today was unlike the spectacle 100 years ago. Modern technology expresses the spectacle in today’s modern world. The spectacle has the power to bring people together and spread to millions of people through social media and television. 

Self-Portrait Final Project

 

"Puzzled Timeline"

                        

This right here is a timeline of the most meaningful times of my life. I started with when I was born because nothing would have happened if I wasn’t born. I was born in Egypt on September 8th,2001. The first picture was my first summer in America. Then when I went back to Egypt. Then officially came back here. The picture after is when I graduated 8^th grade, then when I got my first job, it was a prom picture after, then when I graduated high school. Got my first promotion. After was the first day of my college career. I turned 21, then it was when I got a promotion at my job and an interview request letter from my future career. I incorporated all around the collage things I like for example I collect perfumes, I have a collection and it started off with the one I put on my collage Miss Dior, the paintbrush was because when I was younger all I did was scribble, and even paint in my room even if I didn’t know how too. I added a bracelet from my job when they gave me a promotion it was a joke between me and my coworkers. The flower is something I always have in my room, and the eyelash spoolie and makeup brush are because that is one of my hobbies. Of course, one of the many things I put on the collage was the puzzles, the puzzles represent my life or life in general your life is little pieces of puzzles that connect at the end, which in this case every puzzle on my board does connect to each other.  

The inspiration I had was from the artist Freida Kahlo because she always tries to incorporate her culture and what she goes through, in her life, she paints her trauma, and her accomplishments. One of the biggest inspirations I got from Freida Kahlo was she painted the bus accident that changed her whole life. The bus accident left her with a broken spinal column, a broken collarbone, broken ribs, a broken pelvis, and 11 fractures in her right leg, her right foot was dislocated and crushed, and her shoulder was out of joint. Even though she went through many traumatic experiences she still wanted to continue her artwork and she even went out of her way to paint the bus. She expressed herself in those paintings and was honest. 

I created my work in a form of a timeline with dates. My timeline is meaningful to me because it can show people that even if they come from different countries or different backgrounds that it should not stop them from doing what they want, and it shouldn’t limit them to what they believe they can do. This project was important to me because it showed me a lot about my life and made me reflect on what I have accomplished and what I didn’t accomplish in a little time frame and what I can improve on. It shows me how much a person’s life can change within just a small amount of time.

 One of Frida’s quotes that stuck out to me which is “I don’t paint dreams or nightmares; I paint my own reality”. In Frida Kahlo's paintings she paints about her personal emotions and feelings, and events she went through. The pictures I chose were very important parts of me that make up my life currently. A part of me would not think that I would be an assistant store manager in a billion-dollar company or that I would get a letter for my future career. Frida Kahlo says “at the end of the day we can endure much more than we think we can” this quote is one of my favorite quotes I have heard since I began this class because you don’t know what you're capable of until you see it getting done in front of you. or you see your accomplishments when you look back at them. Throughout the semester I believe I was able to improve even if it was to get out of my comfort zone just enough to consistently must recreate or think of a selfie inspired by an artist. I feel like this certain project means something else to me because it was personal to see the different milestones I took in my life. “I am my own muse. I am the subject I know best. The subject I want to better” Frida Kahlo. Just like she mentions about herself you are your own person to work on and improve you don’t have what you're able to accomplish then yourself, you are the only person that can push yourself to the limit. This timeline of my life has me excited to see what I will be able to add to it, and when.

Citation:

Frida Kahlo Was a Painter, a Brand Builder, and a Survivor. And So Much More | NY Times

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/01/31/arts/design/frida-kahlo-booklyn-museum.html

Biography of Frida Kahlo

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ROAH9LQecycCut and Paste | Collage before Cubism https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FKzA5sZBNJw

SELF-PORTRAIT FINAL PROJECT

   

Kehinde Wiley  

Guillermo Argueta "Unapproachable" 2022 

Guillermo Argueta "Gentleman" 2022

Guillermo Argueta "Forever" 2022

  Throughout the semester, I got to learn about many artists and got to approach "art" in a different way. Not only did I get out of my comfort zone, but I enjoyed doing each project. Finally, the final project was presented, and a decision had to be made for what will be my last project. For this final project, I was left with three ideas: making a video comparing the lives of my son and me, an extension to my soccer video, or a self—portrait. After discussing with my classmate Jose and prof Doris, the final decision was made of a "self—portrait." The reasoning behind this was that an extension of my soccer video would not have been "original." Also, not deciding on a video with my son gave my family an excuse to have a portrait together.  Therefore, the first step for this final self--portrait project is to photoshop the original image background and incorporate it with me.

    The artist that inspired me while making me self—portrait is Kehinde Wiley. Who is a black artist who painted former president Barack Obama's presidential portrait. This painting hangs in Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery in Washington, D.C. In this painting, Kehinde added certain flowers that originate from Obama's parents' origin. As stated by Maya Rhodan in A Game Changer, How a Painting of President Obama Broke the Rules, "African blue lilies are a nod to Obama's father's home country of Kenya. Chrysanthemums are the official flower of the city of Chicago, where Obama met his wife Michelle and started both his family and political career" (2018). What makes this painting standout out even more, is the background made with this painting. The background leaves blending with both different types of flowers. The sense of "authority" is also portrayed without the environment being related to the White House. Just like Obama's portrait, I replicated the national flowers and background. Both national flowers from Ecuador and Salvador ("Churquiraga Jussieui" & "Itotze Flower") for the picture of my family. Implying that one the left side is the national flower from El Salvador. While the right side having the national flower of Ecuador. Down in the middle both flowers meet since my son is from both countries! Meanwhile the other two photos only have the national flower from El Salvador.

    The self-portrait I made displays numerous themes. To begin, the very first photo taken was with my family. In some, having a child at an early age is seen as a careless mistake, while others see it as a blessing. I've learned to look past the eyes of others and to appreciate and treasure the moments. As stated by Susan Sontag in an excerpt on Photography, "To collect photographs is to collect the world." Thus, having over three thousand photos of Lucas. The second (feminine pose) and third (male pose) photos portray a male and feminine pose. The idea behind the second pose was to confuse the audience since, in a "male" picture, you never see the male doing a feminine pose. Society always views the male as the dominant figure. I tried hitting this portrait with a twist and portraying the dominant male sigma. In the third photo, I emphasized the pose by leaning forward and having my hands a certain way. As stated by Maya Rhodan in A Game Changer, How a Painting of President Obama Broke the Rules, "The way the president appears to lean toward the viewer, his collar unbuttoned, exudes a level of openness not seen in some of the other portraits" (2018). In other words, you get this sense of power being demonstrated without the individual expressing an emotion.

    Overall, there was a vital difference between my first self—portrait and my final self—portrait. Such differences have the theme being presented. In my first—self-portrait project, I introduced this theme of "loneliness," and the animal being shown was a wolf howling. Comparing this to my final project, I'm incorporating this theme of family and power rather than feeling empty and alone. Such influences that made these changes happen were the artists themselves. Some artists will do such unorthodox actions that no one will ever do. For example, the artist Yoko Ono was a strong influencer on my assignments since she pushed me to go beyond my comfort zone. A video called The case for Yoko Ono stated, "In Cut Piece" you are stripped of your outward signifiers giving yourself to the audience to work." To be in front of a camera or even record a video of myself is beyond rare. My camera roll consists of photos of my son and family. You will never find a selfie or a picture of me alone on my phone. I grew up not being photogenic, and as of December 2022. This change is finally happening since the purchase of a photo album has been made.

    The spectacle/media influences identity and self-presentation since the spectacle is the "main" subject. As stated in The Society of the Spectacle by Guy—Ernest Debord, "The spectacle is capital to such a degree of accumulation that it becomes an image." This means the "spectacle" will be the subject that gets everyone to see. Therefore, the spectacle will have a significant influence on identity and self—presentation.

 

Citation:

Rhonda, M. (2018, February 14). 'A game changer.' how a painting of President Obama broke the rules. Retrieved from https://time.com/5158961/obama-portrait-kehinde-wiley-amy-sherald-interview/

Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KoU0E_ab36Q

Susan Sontag excerpt from On Photography
http://www.susansontag.com/SusanSontag/books/onPhotographyExerpt.shtml

Debord, G. E. (n.d.). The Situationist international text library/The society of the spectacle. Retrieved from https://library.nothingness.org/articles/SI/en/display/16

week5 selfie

John Berger: “Oil paintings did to appearance what capital did to social relations. It reduced everything to the equality of objects.” "A painting could speak to the soul- by way of what it referred to, but never by the way it envisaged." Mirzoeff: “Image has not only helped us for the first time to understand how vision was possible, it also raised the importance of seeing to a new level” "Seeing the world is not about how we see but about we make of what we see" Wangechi Mutu at Met: "she notes that 'in classical African art, the female body in some instances is the museum- she is where the art is placed." “The work of these women is immense. The regard for them is not.” That complicated social position is reflected in the caryatids’ striking discs, which relate back to lip plates and crowns and heavy earrings. Along with filed teeth and scarification, they can cause women substantial pain. The status they confer is costly in more ways than one.” The Feminist Challenge of Wangechi Mutu: “The idea of clearcut binaries—African/European, archaic/modern, religion/pornography—I’ve never really believed in that. I’m interested in powerful images that strike chords embedded deep in the reservoirs of our unconscious.” Wangechi Mutu Exhibition at Brooklyn Museum: “Bringing her interconnected ecosystems to life for this exhibition through sculptural installations and videos, Mutu encourages audiences to consider these mythical worlds as places for cultural, psychological, and socio-political exploration and transformation.” I choose a hybrid animal, it is a hybrid of a killer orca whale and a lion. The killer orca is a symbol of protection for those who are away from home. What the orca stands for is enough for me to find interest in them, they appear to be calm and beautiful animals but really they are some of the scariest killers in the ocean. Also a big reason i wanted to choose a aquatic animal is because they represent the message of always moving forward as most aquatic life needs. to be moving at all time or can only swim forawrd in order to stay alive. I mixed the orca with a lion because of the intensity and fear the lion puts in everyone else straight from their name.