Final Self-portrait

Discovering myself

“I think that little by little I’ll be able to solve my problems and survive.”

“She had the courage to be unique… she was able to be free”

“He said you have talent.”

“Over the centuries links have been asserted between the shape of the head, or eyebrows, lips, ears, fingers, and the counterpart characteristics of intelligence, character, moral rectitude, perversity and criminality.” (the art of self-invention p.123)

“Seeing comes before words. The child looks and recognizes before it can speak.” (Ways of seeing p.7)

“An image is a sight which has been recreated or reproduced.” (Ways of seeing p.9)

Inspired by Frida Kahlo, she went through an accident that damaged her spine and gave her multiple fractions that made her incapable of moving and forced her to stay at her house, sitting on her chair for a long time. That long time inspired her to start painting. During this period most of her paintings were portraits using a mirror in her room.

During this last year of the pandemic, I felt just like Frida that I am trapped, and I need to spend my time on something precious, she inspired me to focus more on discovering myself and appreciating the things I have, which sometimes I do not even notice they exist. Knowing more about Frida made me start thinking about my identity, my family, my friends, places I love to visit, outings and gatherings, worshiping, and an endless list of things that formed who I am.

Frida used painting to express herself, to discover who she was, and set her soul to be free. For me, I was thinking about who I am when I looked into my mirror, what are the things that formed my personality and identity. Then, I started doodling my thoughts and searching for my old pictures and go through my memories searching for what made me happy in the past. I choose pictures of things that Identify me also, I chose what I missed during the pandemic and hoping that I can get it back soon. At that moment, I have put everything together in graphic prints and collages. I, then, sat in front of a mirror and highlighted my face with my collected prints.

I noticed my self-portrait for the final project is hugely different from my first three self-portraits. At the beginning of this class, I always wanted to choose portraits that did not show my face. I wanted portraits that can least showed me and my facial expressions, my favorite was the ones that showed me from further and showed the least possible details. Though, for my final self-portrait, I chose a portrait that highlights my face. I wanted to show who I am.

Citation:

·        Hollywoodstreams, director. Salma Hayek in 2002 - Frida Interview. YouTube, YouTube, 30 Apr. 2009, www.youtube.com/watch?v=y1R0T5MOR2s&t=18s.

·        Frakdox, director. Frida Kahlo Biography - (2 of 6). YouTube, YouTube, 20 Jan. 2009, www.youtube.com/watch?v=SH_S3nAPTdY.

·        Berger, John. Ways of Seeing. BBC and Penguin, 1972.

·        Finkelstein, Joanne. The Art of Self Invention: Image and Identity in Popular Visual Culture. I.B. Tauris, 2007.

·        Dunne, Carey. “The Photographed, Collaged and Painted Muses of Mickalene Thomas.” Hyperallergic, 5 Mar. 2016, hyperallergic.com/278045/the-photographed-collaged-and-painted-muses-of-mickalene-thomas/.

•       -, Flavia Medrut, et al. “17 Frida Kahlo Quotes to Inspire You to Turn Pain Into Beauty.” Goalcast, 8 Apr. 2021, www.goalcast.com/2017/11/28/17-frida-kahlo-quotes/.