Personal Expression and Reflection through Art and Fashion - Essay Example

?Introduction The works of two world famous artists, a photographer and a fashion designer will be explored in this paper. The connection with their art and the expression of their personality through their work will be emphasized. The chosen artists are Frida Kahlo, the famous artist from Mexico, Johan Anderson, a painter from Sweden, the renowned American photographer Cindy Sherman and Vivienne Westwood, the famous fashion designer. Reviewing the life and work of these famous personalities has revealed that all of them share a passion for art which is reflected in their work, be it on canvas, a photograph or clothing line. In my personal opinion any form of art reflects the inner personality of an individual and thus is a medium which reveals the identity of the artist involved. The following thesis describes the connection between art and fashion and their interrelatedness which gels them into one art form. The quote “Arts need for fashion’s glamour and wealth and fashion search for intellectual credibility” reflects and emphasizes the points that have been discussed in the following paragraphs. True fashion is giving a new outlook to a person or thing which changes their appearance and makes them beautiful without attaching any knowledge or feelings with the work. Famous celebrities such as Beyounce, Rihanna and the all girl-band, Pussycat dolls lack a true knowledge or passion for good fashion and designs and are keener to attach themselves with a label. They only seek glamour and fame for which they would even go to the extent of selling their soul. However, artists who believe in their work and have a passion would be more careful while portraying themselves or their work. The story and reason behind their work would be more vivid rather than merely showcasing their work for the sake of fame or money. [I HAVE PUT IMAGES HERE OF BEYONCE, RIHANNA, AND THE PCD LADIES] People consider artists as being smart, intelligent and trustworthy and who are not guilty of showcasing their own identity and emotions through their work. At times the influence of their family and their upbringing is also reflected in their work. The below picture is the portrait of Armada portrait of Elizabeth I by George Gower in the year 1588. He specialized in portrait painting and became the sergeant painter of Queen Elizabeth I in the year 1581. [HERE I HAVE A PHOTO OF QUEEN ELIZABETH 1 AND GEORGE GOWER] However, the above statement need not apply to all those who want to be part of the world of fashion and art. But the below discussion about the Mexican born painter, Frida Kahlo who was born on the 6th of July 2907, is a defense against the statement as the vibrant colors used in her work is largely influenced by the culture of Mexico and Europe and was also based on realism, symbolism and surrealism. Most of her work was on self portraits and they wonderfully showcased the articulate detailing which Kahlo painfully undertook. Kahlo’s father was Guillermo Kahlo who was born on 26th October 1871, in Germany and he passed away on the 14th of April in the year 1941. He was a photographer by profession who went to Mexico where, in the year 1901, he set up a photographic studio and worked for El Mundo Ilustrado and Semanario Ilustrado. He was later commissioned by the government to do architectural work. Kahlo’s mother, Matilde Calderny Gonzalez, was a devoted Catholic and of primarily indigenous as well as Spanish descent. This is enough proof for the statement made in the beginning as though Kahlo did not hail from an art background as many people would have expected, instead his family did have any idea or experience about portrait painting in which he later specialized. Many of Kahlo’s paintings have been inspired from her own life experiences and her most heart wrenching painting was the one that depicts the story about her accident which later changed her life. [HERE I HAVE AN IMAGE OF FRIDA KAHLO] This painting, which was done in the year 1944, depicts a naked woman who is seen standing in a hill field shielding her lower region which is smeared with dried blood. Behind this horrifying picture is the story of the accident which the artist suffered on the 17th of September in the year 1925 when Kahlo was on a bus which collided with a trolley car. She suffered serious injuries in the accident and broke her spinal column, suffered a broken collarbone, broken ribs, broken pelvis, and eleven fractures in her right leg, a crushed and dislocated right foot, and a dislocated shoulder. In addition, an iron handrail had pierced through her abdomen and her uterus, which seriously damaged her reproductive ability. Through she recovered well from her injuries and eventually regained her ability to walk; she was plagued by relapses of extreme pain for the rest of her life. The pain was intense and often left her confined to the hospital or bedridden for months at a stretch. She had to undergo as many as thirty-five operations as a result of the accident, mainly on her back, her right leg and her right foot. The painting, which depicted the above incidence, shows a woman looking lost and terrible in pain and conveyed a deeper meaning which is very difficult to comprehend. Thus Kahlo dedicated this painting to those who love her work so that they could understand the real pain that she had to undergo which is also vividly represented by the title of the portrait, The Broken Column. The title is suggestive of a mesmerizing, compelling and capturing tale of anguish, distress, torment and pain. The open chasm of the torso juxtaposes is reflective of a graphic architectural form and vividly portrays her own spine and the brokenness within her body, which is also punctured by numerous nails and merely held together by a cloth harness. The nails are depicted as being pierced through the inside of her skin and the numerous hard, broken and rusted nails with dried up blood, is indicative of the physical pain that she had to endure. A closer look at her face and eyes shows that she has been holding back her tears as they have not yet dropped and the look in her eyes reveal the excruciating pain in her body. The picture portrays the artist as though she is looking at the people and telling them the tale of her sorrow. Despite the pain and suffering which is so explicitly portrayed in the picture, the face also reveals the resignation and courage of the women. The artist is not guilty of showing herself in the nude, perhaps making a point that it is nothing compared to the immense pain she had to endure and the scars in her body are enough proof of it. However, she also sends a message of realization that despite all the pain and suffering there is nothing much she can do to change things and that she will move on with her life and will continue to express herself. As in her real life the portrait also depicted that she had to carry a mental bar within her mind. Kahlo’s life seemed to be unhappy as she had to deal with the many trials and tribulations day in day out. One can merely conclude that perhaps it was her fate to lead an unhappy life. It seemed that she had never been able to convey to people on her real feelings and her only way of communication about what she truly felt was through her paintings. In the portrait she is seen standing on a rock crying out that there be no more toil and responsibility or suffering the risk of bad taste or violence. The blood is flowing out and it is only the body that is standing here with no soul and that people can do whatever they want with it. In the year 1930 Kahlo travelled with her husband Rivera to San Francisco, where Rivera worked on murals at the Pacific Stock Exchange and the California School of Fine Arts. In the summer of 1931 they went to New York where Rivera held a major exhibition of his work. In the spring of 1932, they moved to Detroit, where Rivera worked on a series of murals at the Detroit Institute of Arts. By this time Kahlo had become pregnant. But the bus accident which she suffered in 1925 gave rise to several complications and as a result she underwent a traumatic period in the Henry Ford Hospital. Kahlo was a well know Mexican woman who expressed her identity through her paintings. She did not hail from an artistic background and gained her knowledge about art over the years. All her works had a story behind and there was no glamour attached with it which shows the distinction between true love and passion for fashion and art and creating a work of art for the sake of money and fame. The exact notion behind the work of Kahlo can be left for the readers to decide. One of the quotes made by Kahlo reads as below: "The only thing I know...is that I paint because I need to." "I paint my own reality I paint whatever passes through my head without any other consideration." "I paint self-portraits because I am so often alone... because I am the subject I know best." "I've done my paintings well, not quickly but patiently, and they have a message of pain in them..." ....Frida Kahlo This quote made my Kahlo makes a reference to the above painting and about pain and suffering she had to endure. As told in the first line of the quote, painting is the only way by which she is able to express her feelings vividly and a way to explain her identity to the world. In the early 1980’s numerous books about her work were published by feminist art historians and other art writers. However, in the last two decades there has been a dearth of Kahlo-inspired films, plays, calendars, and jewellery, which have helped to transform the artist into a veritable cult figure. The second artist whose work will be explored in the below paragraphs is Johan Anderson who is a Swedish painter born in Trollhattan in 1986. Anderson’s work, like Kahlo’s, brings forth the identity and emotions of the individual, which is the unifying factor in both these artists. Anderson specializes in painting the identity of his friends and other people whom he meets. He has fascination to capture their honest and natural expressions and brings out the moment that expresses human nature and which challenges the perceptions of beauty. His portraits represent their character and their physical state of being. In particular he prefers to paint people who have a story to tell, just like Kahlo, and not merely a pretty or beautiful face. One of the quotes made by Anderson reads as below: “My work plays with preconceptions, causing conflict between mind and reality thus creating a cognitive dissonance” The following painting, which is an image of Randy, is a fitting example of the quote made by the artist. [A IMAGE OF RANDY IS HERE] The above portrait of his friend Randy is a true depiction of the image and identity of an individual. Looking at the picture, some people might have the view that he was sick or quite scary to look at. But Anderson tries to depict the impression that he knows Randy personally and that he is a dutiful Christian who attended the same church as his and that he was left scarred and blinded after a childhood accident. For some, however, the picture might appear intimidating in the first glance like that of Kahlo’s image of The Broken Column. Is she was to walk around like that or if the portrait was in a changing room people might find the picture to be intimidating to look at or be around with. Another painting by Johan of his friend is called Tamara, which is her name and Anderson portrays her as someone who is beautiful but very insecure about her body and comes across as a person with a shy demeanor. His work explores the theme of beauty and vulnerability in youth and he challenges certain ideas by distorting the figure, at times by using turpentine to disrupt the surface of the paint. When looking at this painting you see young women who could be in her early twenties to thirties and who looks very shy. From how she is seated and the way she is covering half of her breast reveals that she does not want to show her full body, but she has a beautiful face with dark blue eyes and rosemary lips with what looks to be real blond hair. In this picture Anderson has succeeded in creating a life like image of a person’s identity at the same time making it look quite plain yet beautiful. Kahlo, on the other hand, does not hesitate to depict the ugly or vulnerability side of her personality and those of other people. [A IMAGE OF TEMARA/AND THREE OTHERS] Both the above drawings clearly reveal the identity of the person to a large extent and the viewer can identify with the pain and emotions of these people when the portrait is explored in depth. In another painting by Anderson, he depicts one of his other friend by the name Danielle who is seen crying and her pain is vivid in her face and eyes which makes her look very weak. This makes the viewer ponder as to whether Anderson considers women to be the weaker sex and who are always in need of something or whether he only want the person depicted to see their own reflection and their own identity. Kahlo, on the other hand, does not depict women as being weak rather she merely shows a child being breastfed by a black mother. Looking at another painting by Kahlo one cannot help but wonder that the lady in the portrait seems very cold and distant like a stranger and that she is about to drop out of her arms. It seems that Kahlo could not recollect the face of the nurse and so she painted her face wearing a pre-Columbian mask. This is the second most heartfelt powerful painting she has done which is reflective of her identity and wherein she also reveals details about her childhood. The painting suggests that the nannies were always, some of them black and never having been breastfed by her mother and really gained her mother’s true love. Anderson’s paintings depict realism which reveals a person’s true emotions and to stirs a reaction in the mind of the viewer. He likes to explore the intimate aspects such as posing nude with all its insecurities and issues of identity and difference which many people go through every day. His paintings are full of curiosity in their subtle contradictions, giving them an ambiguous and awkward underlying tension. His paintings lie somewhere in between dream and reality that converts it into a fantasy. The naivety of youth is juxtaposed against darkness, and ethereal beauty streaked with corruption alongside a tentative challenge of political correctness. He is very spontaneous with the way in which he works with the paint. “I don't see any limits to painting nor do I limit myself as an artist.” These are the words from the artist which is enough proof about the techniques which he has employed in his canvas. Elements of abstract techniques are evident in his paintings, which can be described as a blend of control and chance and a soft focus against the harsh mark-making. His paintings include both order and disorderliness and he gets most of his inspiration by travelling around the world and researching on his subjects. In addition, the information gleaned from the art world is also vital for his work as it provides him with a constant stream of inspiration and widens his creative potential. At the same time, he genuinely paints what he thinks, and chooses not to be led by the contemporary fashion world. He further states that his work is derived from the personal connection between his experience and work which make them almost immediately identifiable. There is a certain degree of intimacy between his paintings and the viewer and through his work he likes to challenge the concept of being human and also to appreciate it. This diversity in his paintings makes them a fascinating work of art and pushes the viewer to be connected to them. Anderson himself wants his viewers to relate as close as they possibly can to his paintings. The final artist to be discussed in this paper is Cindy Sherman who was born on the 19th of January in the year 1954. She is an American photographer and also a film director and a feminist who is best known for her conceptual portraits. She currently resides and works in New York. She is famous for her Untitled Film Still series (1977-1980), which is an ensemble of black-and-white photographs of the artist posing in different stereotypical female roles. Although she poses for her photographs, Sherman’s pictures are not self-portraits in a traditional sense. Sherman became interested in visual arts when she attended the Buffalo State College where she began to paint. Over time she became frustrated due to the limitations posed by the medium and so she abandoned painting and took up photography. In her own words "There was nothing more to say through painting” as she believed that some painters merely speak through drawing and that she became fed up with it as time passed by. She later recalled. "I was meticulously copying other art and then I realized I could just use a camera and put my time into an idea instead”. She spent the rest of her college career focusing on the art of photography. Though Sherman had failed a requisite photography test as a freshman, she repeated the course with Barbara Jo Revelle, whom she credits for having introduced her to the conceptual and contemporary art forms. While in college she met Robert Longo who encouraged her to record her process of dolling up for parties, and later they created the Hall walls arts centre together with Charles Clough,. [A PHOTO OF SHERMAN] Sherman works in series and is typically known for photographing herself in a wide range of costumes and make-up as shown in the picture in which she is wearing is a knee cut skirt, long jacket, headscarf and scarf and black eyeglasses, which she could have worn for the sake of fashion or worn purposely. Looking at the photo, it seems as though she had just been beaten up by her husband or boyfriend. One can also tell that it was taken during the 1970s when the women had to cover themselves just like Muslim women. They were merely expected to be housewives and have babies. With the African American Civil Rights Movement in full swing, both black and white women were being raped by strangers or family members and had to keep their child in case a pregnancy ensues as killing a child was considered as a sin. It was during this period that the Feminist Movement came into being and it under took a prominent role in the society. It was during the fiftieth anniversary of the passage of the Nineteenth Amendment in the United States Constitution, in the year 1970 when the Women's Strike for Equality and other protests was commemorated. The anthology of Sisterhood became powerful and other works, such as Sexual Politics, were published at the start of the decade. It was during this period that feminism began to reach a larger audience like never before. Additionally, in the year 1973, the Supreme Court's decision on the case of Roe v. Wade constitutionalized the right to abortion which put the women's rights movement into the national political spotlight. The sexist laws gained success and opportunities for women increased over the years and they achieved success in business, politics, education, science, law, and also within the family. Though most of the goals of the movement gained success, there was also some significant failures, most notably the failure to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. [ANOTHER PHOTO OF SHERMAN] The above photo of Sherman was taken during her hey years in which she displays more fashion than art and portrays her idea on how women should look. Sherman uses elaborate costumes and makes up to transform her identity for the image and is photographed in a sparse, and obviously, staged setting with a wooden chair standing in for the bus seat. This second photo is of her posing nude with what looks like a plain red towel or dressing gown around her. The photo is quite sexual and she poses vulnerably crouching down unlike her first portrait in which she is sitting down. Although Sherman does not consider herself to be a feminist, many of her photo-series, like her 1981 "Centrefolds," which called for the attention on the stereotyping of women in films, television and magazines. [ANOTHER IMAGE] Explaining her idea behind the painting, Cindy stated that, "In content I wanted a man opening up the magazine suddenly look at it with an expectation of something lascivious and then feel like the violator that they would be while looking at this woman who is perhaps a victim”. I didn't think of them as victims at the time... But I suppose... Obviously I'm trying to make someone feel bad for having a certain expectation." Following the response for this painting Sherman produced the Sex series in 1989 with the help of some friends. These photographs featured pieced-together medical dummies in flagrante delicto. Like the case of Sherman's other works, many critics found the series both disturbing and funny. The artist states that "I feel I'm anonymous in my work. When I look at the pictures, I never see myself; they aren't self-portraits. Sometimes I disappear." The final artist whose identity is being discussed in the remaining paragraphs is Vivienne Westwood who was born on the 8th of April in the year 1941. She is a well known British fashion designer and businesswoman who is also largely responsible for bringing modern punk into existence and for creating a new wave in the fashion industry. Vivienne Westwood who is famously known for her shocking designs and statements is not only known for her clothes but this is the lady who clothed the Sex Pistols and imitated Margaret Thatcher (though entirely sardonically). If any fashion designer has shown a rebellious attitude, it is none other than Westwood. However, Westwood has not hogged the spotlight merely with her ruthless sensationalism as she also possess an inherent integrity and genuine creative curiosity that has sustained a remarkable career so much so that her own success has extended beyond that of people from whom she had initially taken inspiration for her work. With respect to her notoriety, she states that “It wasn't that I purposely wanted to rebel, I wanted to find out why it had to be done one way and not another.” When reading this quote the first person who comes to mind is Cindy Sherman who stressed that being a women does not imply that she has to lead her life merely as a housewife in the society. Sherman lays emphasis to her above statement by depicting dolls in explicitly erotic situations that are somehow distinctly un-sexy, and thereby inviting children to use these dolls as tolls to explore the concept of sexuality. The doll depicted in the Untitled Film Still #255 (1992) has been outfitted with realistic (if hairless) genitalia and is surrounded by ordinary household objects (hairbrush, rope), which in the context of the doll’s doggy-style position, become S&M objects of torture and pleasure. The teddy Boys along with Westwood looked up to the Rocker for outsider inspiration which utilized fetish materials such as rubber, leather, zips, studs and chains. This image depicted a more carefree attitude and Westwood was shown wearing a Nazi sign t-shirt which was quite amusing. Hitler ruled German and he loved his country and would not hesitate to destroy any other country including Britain. The reason behind her wearing this top and posing in such a manner definitely brings out her rebellious nature like Sherman and Kahlo who have also succeeded in bringing forth their identity along with Anderson. What emerges through these images is a subtle analysis of the individual’s identity along with the fantasies that it generates and the forces that shape it. This immersion in the uncertain and conflicting zones where the identity of the individual struggles with the collective imaginary, stereotypes and issues of symbolic power, can be playful when it touches on horror and repulsion and on the decay and dismembering of the body. Again like Kahlo and Anderson who have given their own identity to their work and have clearly explained what it means, and what it represents, when they paint or take a photo because they have a passion for their work and strongly believe in what they see, touch or feel, Sherman and Westwood also express their identity from a woman’s perspective. They strive to only be labeled as a good and smart designer or photographer but also as a woman who wants to change the way the society looks upon women. They all want people to have their know identity and also reveal them irrespective of whether it is beautiful or ugly as it is their own identity. [PHOTO OF VIVIENE WESTWOOD] Conclusion The goal of this dissertation was to find a connection between the identities expressed by an artist and a designer/photographer. Though there was an initial struggle in outing together this paper, coming from a non-art background and without any knowledge about the connection among these artists, I was still able to learn more about these people through research and by observing their work for connectivity. It has been a great learning process overall as I had the opportunity to discover the common passions among artists from different fields and about how they get inspiration for their work. The paper deals with how all these artists have expressed pain in various ways with Kahlo showing her image looking disturbing and raw, Anderson depicting a pretty lifelike image, perhaps a plain woman with tears, and Sherman and Kahlo have also shown the same feeling through photography and fashion by showing woman with ripped clothes, or looking like a man, or having a statement. By exploring the work of these various artists I have also realized the true meaning of expressing one’s identity. With the hope of becoming a designer myself, I want to keenly observe the works of artists and imbibe their ideas to help me with my work. This research has also enabled me to think beyond my zone of comfort and has given me the hope that I can search for my own identity, family background and heritage, just like Anderson, Kahlo, Sherman and Westwood. Their work has been a real inspiration and motivation to find my own identity. In this context I also took the liberty of observing how some of my friends expressed their and noticed how each one were dressed differently from the other. Thus every person around us express an identity of their own while some other people are scared to express themselves as they have a fear that they might not be accepted. [PHOTO OF MY FRIEND] The above photo is of my friend La Toya who is beautiful, but insecure about her body and hence would never wear a skirt or a low neck top. She rather prefers to wear long trousers, trainers and a coat just like Andersons friend, Tamera whom he had depicted as a quiet and shy person who would never reveal much about her true identity. Read More