Introduction and Thesis Statement
For a long time, art and aesthetics have been used to denote political and social happenings in the society. However, the presentation of the issues has varied from one art movement to the other. The twentieth century art resulted in a change from what many described as contemporary art to a new genre of art and aesthetics that addressed the social, political and technological in more expressive and liberal manner compared to the past art works. Therefore, this paper analyses the changes that the twentieth century implied for art and aesthetics. The project examines two works of art “The Two Fridas” by Frida Kahlo and “Destruction of the Father” by Louise Bourgeois. The works feature strong political and social implications that are translated to the public in a bold and provocative manner.
“The Two Fridas” by Frida Kahlo
Information About Work
The Two Fridas is an oil painting done by Frida Kahlo, an American artist in 1939. The art is reserved at the Museo de Arte Moderno in Mexico City. The ‘Two Fridas’ is an art in which Frida’s identity is simultaneously peered into a mirror. It depicts two twin ladies sitting on a long bench against the background of the heavy sky. The ladies are linked by an artery that joins their hearts which suggests that they are two parts of one person (Kleiner, 2014). The two parts impinge on both magical and surrealist worlds i.e. tend to bring together fantasy and reality that bring out Kahlo’s hybrid identity (Haynes, 2006).
Political Context of the Work
During the difficult era that lasted between the First and the Second World War, there were many political, economic and social changes that took place in Mexico. For instance, the cosmopolitan European ideologies such as Marxism and imperialism affected the ideology of nationalism in Mexico. The changes led to erosion of the Mexican culture. However, there were still strong sentiments among the communists who wanted to ensure that Mexicans identity was not eroded (Haynes, 2006). Kahlo, an artist of the time was influenced by such changes and influenced the “The Two Fridas” which has had a strong political implication. It symbolizes the hegemony imposed by imperialism. The artist wanted to show that the destructive character of interference into the native culture – the two portraits of the same lady stand for a traditional Mexican woman and the westernized personality that the imperialistic forces strived to generate. Since Kahlo shared Mexican nationalistic ideas, she used the art to express her confrontation with the view imposed from beyond (Kleiner, 2014). Hence, she used her image as an example of the political changes that had taken place in Mexico and their influence on the community. According to Haynes (2006), the images of the ‘Two Fridas’ shows that the two images operate in a shared spatio-temporal plane, this is a reinforcement that point to important political and social scenarios where similarities co-exist and at the same time differences are depicted in same society.
Summary of Expert Critical Commentary
Kahlo’s work was subject to a lot of criticism. However, there is common agreement that the work was underestimated by her contemporaries due to various reasons. For instance, Cotter (2008) noted that the barrier to accepting Kahlo’s work resided in the fact that it was “implacably frank” (para.13). Cotter (2008) added that through the work, her lovers are able to travel through the path of political passion and physical pain that characterized Kahlo’s life as depicted in the ‘Two Fridas’. In general, the work symbolizes the social and political inclination of any society faced with external influence either politically or socially.
“Destruction of the Father” by Louise Bourgeois
Information About Work
“Destruction of the Father” is the first installation of Bourgeois, a sculptor and painter born in Paris in 1911. The art work was done in 1974 and it reveals the anger of Bourgeois due to the dictatorship and infidelity of her father. “Destruction of the Father” is an illustration of bed and a table, the table symbolizes the living room where the entire family meets for a meal while the bed is used to show the ruin of the family relationship. The bed is corroded and looks disgusting which is a pointer of the cheating father. The dominating hue is red. The art is made up using various materials such as fabric, wood, latex and plaster (Heartney, Posner, Princenthal, & Scott, 2014).
Social Context of the Work
Family is a key unit of the society that plays a crucial role in determining the dynamics of the entire society. It is through the happenings in the family that the social characteristics of the entire society can be defined (Krauss, n.d.). In the case of Bourgeois’ installation, the family is symbolically presented facing social evils caused by mistreatment by the father who is culturally bestowed the authority to head the family. The art illustrates the problems of social relations which are experienced in the modern society such as infidelity and suppressed autonomy of the females. To exemplify the suffering of the mother and the family as a whole, the red color is used to depict the hidden aggression and emphasizes the feministic implications this work of art targets to reveal. The installation is an intentional provocation appealing to destroy the commonly established patriarchal family pattern (Heartney et al., 2014). For example, Bourgeois paints the picture of the father who subjugates the role of the mother, he does what he thinks is right without taking into consideration the feelings and sufferings of the entire family.
Summary of Expert Critical Commentary
“Destruction of the Father” has been subject to review by many people and has been widely used by some feminists such as Judy Chicago to highlight social injustices against women within the family institution. The work has been described as having a high personal thematic content involving the unconscious, sexual desire, and the body; and which mirrors the childhood experiences of the artist. Another commentary by Lewis and Lewis (2013) pointed out that the artist introduced a new concept of modern art featuring the idea of “self-exploration” translated through sincere and provocative creation (467). On the other hand, Pasquali and Thomson-Salo (2014) characterize “Destruction of the Father” as “a forceful, provocative confrontation with male tyranny” (p. 210).
Conclusion
From the analysis, it is evidenced that the works feature strong political and social implications that are translated to the public in a bold and provocative manner. The two art works of the 20th century show the spirit of self-expression that was witnessed in the period characterized by many political, economic and social changes and the idea of liberation in terms of personal autonomy were common. These ideas are exemplified by the two artists; they are straightforward in expressing their ideas to voice their dissatisfaction with happenings in their societies.
References
Cotter, H. (2008, February 29). The people’s artist, herself a work of art. The New York Times. Web.
Haynes, A. (2006). Frida Kahlo: An Artist’In Between. Identity and Marginality, 6(2), 1-18.
Heartney, E., Posner, H., Princenthal, N., & Scott, S. (2014). The reckoning: women artists of the new millennium. New York, NY: Prestel Verlag.
Kleiner, F. S. (2014). Gardner’s art through the ages: A global history. Boston, MA: Cengage Learning.
Krauss, R. (n.d.). October: The Second Decade, 1986-1996. Cambridge: The MIT Press.
Lewis, R. L, & Lewis, S. I. (2013). The power of Art. Boston, MA: Cengage Learning.
Pasquali, L. T, & Thomson-Salo, F. (2014). Women and creativity: A psychoanalytic glimpse through art, literature, and social structure. London, England: Karnac Books.