Frida Kahlo Self-Portrait with Cropped Hair and Futago by Yasumasa Morimura - Essay Example

The essay is a piece of work that intends to talk about two pieces of art works that is, the Frida Kahlo “Self-Portrait with Cropped Hair” and "Futago” by Yasumasa Morimura. The main subject about the two art works is to try to analyze the two pieces of artwork based on various characteristics. This range from, how similar and contrasting they are in terms of stylistic characteristics, their cultural, political, and economic values, and meanings. The two pieces of art are paintings that are both artistic in nature representing symbolisms of various aspects within the society ((Matsui pg. 46). This is much of a similarity as it makes comparison of the two.

Frida Kahlo’s self portrait with cropped hair is a piece of art that she comes up with after her divorce with her husband and from then hence froth she appears in large dark man’s suits most of the time. This appears as a protest due to her divorce from her beloved husband since in the portrait we are also able to see her cut her long hair that was so much admired my her now former husband. The hair she cuts are scattered everywhere and she sits in quite a clear place to depict to the world that she is ready to protect her acts.

This is a representation that women are able to go it alone and by dressing in a man’s attire, she symbolizes that women can as well fit in men shoe. The portrait symbolizes some form of freedom she has attained so far by shading off the feminine nature in her and trying to justify a maybe reason that her husband loved her (Lindauer pg. 105-123). Yasumasa Morimura’s portrait (Futago) on the other hand is a representation of a masterpiece of western cannon. Yasumasa in portrait wears a wig playing the roles of a Japanese artist due to the western influence.

The painting or portrait comes out in a manner to question the extent to which the western art is ingrained in the Asian community. In addition, the portrait tries to show the roles of the Asians themselves during such invasions by the western culture. The two portraits share in commonality and characteristics. First, they talk about gender of which the female gender is most focused upon. In the first portrait the female gender is seriously hurt through divorce while in “Futago” the female portrait is laid nude.

They claim this is viewed as traditional genre and that it is a product of male gaze and sexual desires. Therefore, the nude female portrait is question a lot and how it relates to the western painting. The two pieces of art form a basic part of cultural appropriation though it is not necessary that cultural appropriation have to take place. Yasumasa has a whole commentary on and through culture. She talks about cultural imperialism as a case where powerful states would be tempted or actually utilizes culture to influence their political directions.

Such are dictatorial forms and this is seen in the two portraits in the divorce case and the nudity of the woman (Matsui pg. 78). The two pieces of art shows us how gender relate in the society in terms of how men view women. We are able to see women try to fight for their space by trying to fit into men shoe. Frida shaves and dresses like a man showing a face of courage to a sense that they are able to do as the men would do. Both gender try imitating the other, in Futago, Morimura formulates his body, put on a wig and goes ahead to imitate the body image of a female.

This is in his efforts to try to find out about the identity of the nude female body. While Futago is completely dressed in the husband’s attire, Yasumasa is completely nude trying to imitate a feminine gender (Matsui pg. 124-7). This creates the sharp difference when it comes to the roles of gender in the society. Such variability must therefore, be respected at all times. The two portraits are of value to the society due to their similarity and contrasts in trying to show a clear difference between the male and the female gender.

The society is that clear in the roles of each and the treatment to be accorded by each and to each. The understanding of such makes life much better and enjoyable as rigidities are cleared with much ease and in most of the instances (Lindauer pg. 98). A man and woman are created to understand one another and the moment that understanding fades off separation occurs. WORKS CITED Lindauer, Margaret. Devouring Frida: The Art History and Popular Celebrity of Frida Kahlo. (Hanover, NH: Wesleyan University Press, 1999) Matsui, Midori.

“Yasumasa Morimura: Yokohama Museum of Art” in Artforum International, vol XLVI, no. 4 (Dec. 2007)