No Thank You (Week 5)

"The painter meticulously crafted her own image on a par with Cleopatra. If she were alive today, she’d probably be teaching a branding class at Harvard."

- Rebecca Kleinman, Frida Kahlo Was a Painter, a Brand Builder, a Survivor. And So Much More. 

I like that the author of this article said this. Frida Kahlo wasn't afraid to paint raw, unfiltered self-portraits. She was building a brand for herself as an artist, but she let it happen naturally. She wasn't building a brand for herself for the fame and fortune but because she's an interesting person who's been through a lot and is willing to share it with us in an authentic way. Her self-portraits are beautiful and remind me of female portraits like Mona Lisa, Athena, or Cleopatra. But her realistic display of feminine beauty and emotion she expressed through her art is what has earned her spot as an iconic and unforgettable artist. 

"The supplementary mix of Mesoamerican objects, one of the many types of art the couple favored, with her paintings and photographs divulge her yearning for Mexico’s indigenous and agrarian culture and her conflicts with capitalism, especially in the income inequality she witnessed during her travels in the United States."

- Rebecca Kleinman, Frida Kahlo Was a Painter, a Brand Builder, a Survivor. And So Much More. 

Learning about who Frida Kahlo was outside of her sensationalized image in popular culture has been very eye opening. She is so interesting to learn about. There's so much information about her life and interests in this article alone. I love that she was close to her Mexican roots and that she was into politics. The fact that she noticed income inequality during her travels is noteworthy. 

"...the “New Woman” was understood to be young, independent, often smartly dressed with a short bob hairstyle, eschewing home and family life in favor of joining the workforce."

- Dr. Karen Barber, Hannah Höch, Cut with the Kitchen Knife Dada Through the Last Weimar Beer Belly Cultural Epoch of Germany

It's funny that they had to come up with the title, the "New Woman" for women who were defying gender roles. It's like society was giving them permission to act like independent women. When they don't need a title to stand up for themselves and what they want. I know there must have been a few women prior to the creation of this title who stood up for themselves and wanted to work than be housewives. This is odd because I feel like society still looks at women who don't follow the norms and stand up for themselves as a "new kind of woman." 

"It seems fitting that the instrument used to excise this “fatty flesh” is Höch’s “kitchen knife”—an instrument aligned with women’s work. Women, then, take on an active role in this new Dada world, moving and expressing themselves freely, working to bring on the Dada revolution."

- Dr. Karen Barber, Hannah Höch, Cut with the Kitchen Knife Dada Through the Last Weimar Beer Belly Cultural Epoch of Germany

I didn't realize her word choice until the author pointed it out. Hoch was a champion of women's hard work and drive to lead the Dada revolution. Her work was almost excluded from the First International Dada Fair but she fought for her right to show her work. This piece in particular is an embodiment of what/who Hannah Hoch stands for.  

Denise Abadies, No Thank You, 2023 

Cindy Sherman, Untitled Film Still #3, 1977

Denise Abadies, Untitled Collage, 2023