Marina Abramovic was very fascinating and regale as she spoke of her photographic work and performances. Her collections show self portraits that demonstrate a test of her physical and mental limits. Many of her pieces demonstrate natural and real feelings that she encounters in her own life. My favorite piece of hers is “Happy Christmas” where she presents herself in unaesthetic way expressing an emotion of utter despair and sorrow. It resembles the ending of her marriage with her husband. I love this photograph because I believe the main holidays people celebrate today have become artificial with there demand of gifts and glazed over get togethers with their relatives. This photo shows the other side of the holidays, the one hidden behind the decorative wrapping paper.
Frida Kahlo’s work was absolutely stunning as she brought out the beauty of herself as a woman and her Mexican culture. In
her self-portraits she portrays herself as strong, dignified and liberated. Her story was incredible entailing love, struggle, pain and the path of making herself an independent female artist. Her technique of painting with the use of a mirror’s reflection was very new to me and although staggering it seems extremely difficult. Her piece that intrigued me the most is “The broken column” where she paints herself nude covered in nails and bandages and split in half by a simple, damaged stone column in place of a spine. This photo is in reference to her almost fatal automobile accident that left her bedridden for months. It was during this time of hospitalization where she found her amazing talent in painting.
Cui Xiuwen’s photos were celestial and unblemished as she used the theme of displaying herself wearing white clothing. Her works address the life of a young single woman living in China and her emotions that she carries with her every day. I know that in China women are held at a significantly lower status then men and I could only imagine the agitation and frustration that females feel on a daily occurrence. Her interest in womanhood varies from the level of a child as those portraits where she is wearing a school uniform to the level of a grown adult experiencing pregnancy and maternity. Several of the works in her collection “One day in 2004” exemplify a growing tension that draws the viewer in and tempts them to call out to the girl and ask, “What is wrong? Is there anything I can do to help?”
