PART 1– Frida Kahlo’s work is infused with symbolism, such as a monkey on her shoulder. In Mexican mythology, a monkey represents the patron of the dance and is a symbol of lust. In Self Portrait With Monkey, 1938,
however, the monkey is more of a protector and friend and represents her animal alter ego.
The monkey functions differently in her famous work, Self Portrait With Thorn Necklace and Hummingbird, 1940.
Research the symbolism Kahlo used in Self Portrait With Thorn Necklace and Hummingbird, 1940 and the context in which these symbols appear together. Be sure to explore more than one source. Discuss your findings with the class. Be concise 150-200 words.
then
Self-Portrait. For centuries, artists have drawn, painted, sculpted, and photographed their own likenesses. Create a self-portrait by drawing, collaging, painting, or photographing your likeness. The self-portraits should express your characteristics and interests. Use symbolism to enhance the meaning of your self portrait. Will your portrait be a flattering portrayal of your physical qualities, or will it be an expressive abstraction of your inner emotion? Will the portrait reveal your current position in society, or will it reveal where you would like to be years from now? Also, decide on a portrait length: should the portraits be bust length, half-length, three-quarters length, or full length?
PART 2– Watch this video introduction to the Guerrilla girls.
Do women have to be naked to get into the Met. Museum? was an early poster created by the Guerrilla Girls in order to bring attention to racial and gender inequalities in the art world. Go to the Girls’ website Guerrilla Girls (Links to an external site.) to see more examples of posters and other mass media “ads” they made. View at least ten of their different poster designs. Think about: Which are the most effective? Which are the least effective? Why? Which is the most artistic? The least artistic? Then: Guerrilla Art. The Guerrilla Girls created provocative posters using appropriated images and confrontational text. Create your own provocative poster. Appropriate an image from the textbook or online or draw one. You can put a gorilla mask on the figure if you like or reference the Guerilla Girls in another way. Incorporate research or factual text to address an issue of race, class, or gender.
PART 3–
Kara Walker.
Kara Walker uses solid black silhouettes and projectors to create racist-based imagery with the appearance of 18th- and 19th-century graphics. Walker said “I knew that if I was going to make work that [dealt] with race issues, they were going to be full of contradictions.” Look at her cut paper and projector image of “They Waz Nice White Folks While They Lasted” (Says One Gal to Another) (Links to an external site.). Discuss the meaning of the work while considering the title of the work and Walker’s quote.
PART 4– Find an example of a contemporary building that you believe relates in some way to an ancient one. Include by Embedding the images of both forms of Architecture.
Explain the connections you observe.
Based on what you’ve learned in class, what connections can you make with other examples of architecture from different cultures or time periods in your contemporary building choice?
How do we in the Western world of the 21st century use ancient architecture to convey messages in their form and what are those messages?