Assignment 1 Art Appropriation

Cindy Sherman <Untitled Film Stills #21>

1978

Gelatin silver print

This shot is from a series called <Untitled Film Stills> during 1977-1980. This series involves multiple ordinary female roles in the city with cinematic dress-up. The initial purpose of these shots was to promote movies. Sherman played all 70 roles in this series shots. While Sherman insisted to not overact in this particular outdoor shot. She created a ambigous feel by putting herself between buildings and by her nevrous facial expression. 

When I researched the image, I was in the middle process of the design class project. I felt the same way as Sherman did when she took the #21 shot: ambigouty and uncertainty. While she presented a scene that a girl got lost in metropolitan, I used myself to tell that I got lost in the process of creating ideas of design project. I replaced the buildings with my design tools and scratch and make it messy to showed how tedious the work was. My facial expression was full of worries because I had no idea how to came up with a great design back to then.   

Frida Kahlo <Las Dos Fridas>

1939 Oil on canvas

The paintwork was finished shortly after Frida's divorce with her husband Diego Rivera. Frida used this twin figures of her to create her only companion: herself. These two Fridas dress different type of costumes to reflect her bipolar personalities. The left to be the one that her ex-husband abandoned and the left to be the one beloved. The blood, broken heart, vein and stormy background all indicate a dangerous and risky situation where Frida was in.

What really attracts me is the idea of the twins Fridas. Frida created a imaginary friend of her, and I wanted to do the same. I was the older brother of twins, but my younger brother suffered hydrocephalus (watered) and passed away at 1. I created two figure of mine to appropriate the idea of twins. I am curious what life would be if my brother were still safe and sound. We may dress differently just like the picture above, as one put coat and jeans one while the other wear sport suits. I replaced the original stormy and cloudy wall with the artwork <The Starry Night> by van Gogh for two reasons. The first reason was that this is one of my favorite paintwork, I believe we would both appreciate this artwork. The other reason was that I want to create a quiet while elegant atmosphere rather than the edgy and fierce feel from the original one. I also kept hearts unbroken and non-bleeding because I want to present a connected feel for the imaginary brother, instead of dying feel from the two Fridas.