Artwork by Angely Martinez. Red Flower, 2011.
Back in July of this year, I began the "Artistic Mind" Series with
Frida Kahlo, and then in August, I continued the series with
Alexander McQueen and his fantastic work. For the final installment of this writing piece, I want to show how these seemingly different artists have a lot of things in common, based on my own journey of discovering them.
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Always with the curiosity of understanding why I have been so attracted to the work of these two oppossite artists, I came up with different ideas on how they have a lot in common.
Both Alexander McQueen and Frida Kahlo expressed a form of personal pain through their own work. Elements of blood, torture, death, suffering, nature, violence, and beauty are very strongly present in their works. Kahlo, had many health issues and emotional painful episodes throughout her life. McQueen's upbringing as a child was a tough and a difficult one. He came from a modest background and faced a lot of bullying because of his sexual preferences. Many artists use their own particular mediums of work to showcase their own lives, and they were definitely not the exception.
Every single piece showcases the complexities of their ideas and the different ways in which they saw the world around them. Kahlo used painting to represent her personal experiences as a woman, her political and societal views. McQueen used fashion along with innovative technologies to create the greatest out-of-this-world pieces I have ever seen. From a young age, they both showed they were very talented. Their work was very detail, showcasing their ability to bring something to life. Kahlo has always being an influence in my own artwork, and McQueen has been a big fashion influence for me since his work was like
artwork for the human body.
I fell in love with Ceramics while I was in college because it allowed me to bring things to life, to make something three dimensional, to make sculptures. This journey led me to create Ceramic shoes. Then, there's jewelry as well, where fimo and colorful things allow me to create pieces I never thought I would be able to create (I will post some of these in the near future).
You may ask yourself, "Why did she add that photo to this post?." The reality is that the photo above showcases a representation of the influence both artists have had in my life so far.
Despite the fact that they both passed away in their 40s, McQueen and Kahlo left enough work to be remembered for many years to come. They left a legacy in our society that continues to live on.
Like the flowers, they were gone too soon.
Part 1: Frida Kahlo
Part 2: Alexander McQueen
Let me know what you think in the comments below. For now, until next time in A+F by AM.
