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Telling Others about Yourself

How do artists tell their stories?

Use the table on the next page to write about 5 artists and their self -portraits.

Listen to the information given during the Power point discussion to complete the table in detail.

Norman Rockwell 1960

Escher 1935

Brett Whiteley 1976

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Task: Complete practise pages in your VAPD. Draw - One page of Eyes One page of Mouths One page of Noses

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Drawing the human eye.

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frida

Drawing a Nose

Task: find, cut and stick different noses from magazines and include these on your practice drawing page of noses.

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Frida Kahlo Frida Kahlo is considered one of the Mexico's greatest artist. She was born in 1907 in Mexico. Frida had poor health in her childhood. She contracted polio at age of 6 and had to be bedridden for nine months. This disease caused her right leg and food grow much thinner than her left one. She limped after she recovered from the polio. She has been wearing long skirts to cover that for the rest of her life. Her father encouraged her to do lots of sports to help her recover. She played soccer, went swimming, and even did wrestle, which is very unusual at that time for a girl.

In 1925, Frida was in a bus accident after which she was in bed for over a year recuperating. Her father, an artist, lent her his oil pants and brushes, while her mom commissioned a special easel, so that Kahlo could paint in her hospital bed, and had a mirror placed in the canopy, enabling Kahlo's to paint self-portraits.

In her career, Frida Kahlo created 143 paintings out of which 55 are self-portraits. Kahlo said, "I paint myself because I am so often alone and because I am the subject I know best." Her self -portraits often include interpretations of physical and psychological wounds. Frida Kahlo's self-portraits are considered among the finest ever created. Her most famous self-portrait is perhaps “Self-Portrait with Thorn Necklace and Hummingbird”.

“Self-Portrait with Thorn Necklace and Hummingbird”, was painted by Frida Kahlo in 1940. Although this painting has a small size, it draws lots of interests, since it contains so many aspects which are symbolic to Frida Kahlo. In this portrait, Frida Kahlo faces the viewer with background of large green leaves and a yellow leaf right behind her. The thorns are around her neck like a necklace which is held by a black monkey. Her neck is bleeding from the piercing thorns. On right

side behind her shoulder is a black cat. A humming bird is hanging on the thorn which knots around her throat. Her expression is calm and solemn. It also seems she is patiently enduring the pain.

Frida Kahlo put so many symbolic creatures and objects in this painting. She was not painting a realistic scene but using these symbolic elements to express her feelings. A bird is often a symbol for freedom and life. Especially hummingbird which is colorful and always hovering above flowers. But in this painting the humming bird is black and lifeless. This might be a symbol of Frida herself. Frida spent most of her life in physical pain after the bus accident happened when she was eighteen. After that she endured about thirty-five operations to fix her body. She spent so many years bedridden and could not have any children. This is a painting about her suffering.

Sometimes to understand an artist’s self-portrait it is good to know a little about their background – their story.

Journal task:

In your journal draw a line down one page. On one cloumn write at the top similarities and on the other at the top write differences.

Study the three self-portraits on this page. List all features and qualities that appear the same in simliarities and all the features and qualities that are unquie to each painting in differences.

You will find features that are similar definite Frida’s style and symbolism in her paintings.

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Write a paragraph that describes Frida Kahlo’s painting style, a general overview of her work and practice.

Brett Whiteley – Australian Artist. 1939 -1992

Brett Whiteley’s Self-portrait in the studio 1976 is recognised as a contemporary masterpiece, it won the 1976 Archibald Prize for portraiture – Australia’s favourite art award and one of its most prestigious. The work pushes the boundaries of portraiture. It is a surreal depiction of everyday life as viewed from his then home in Lavender Bay on Sydney Harbour. Whiteley’s presentence in the painting is depicted only in the small hand-mirror. Here the artist reveals layers of himself, a communication of his story. The portrait includes Whiteley’s his environment, personal and artistic influences, good and bad.

PPT: Discussion.

List below all the objects, items and/or symbols that tells us something about Brett Whiteley.

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Telling your story in a Self Portrait.

Things for you to consider:

A self-portrait should be a likeness of you. It should communicate your story to the audience. You can do this through facial expression,

the clothes you wear, colours you identify with, or use of objects and props. Developing a style for your self-portrait will come with planning. You will need to organise

your thoughts and ideas, make some sketches and find inspiration from other artists. Using what you have learnt already – how to draw a portrait. Using your journey photos and

your self and place symbols will help you to plan a composition for your painting. You have created a list of symbols and objects that tell your story, now is the time to turn these

into visual representations and add them to your painting. Where and how can you add them? In the background, overlapping your portrait, in the clothes you wear, on your head, shoulders, hands holding something or adding text.

In your VAPD you will plan your painting. Drawing ideas and finding images you wish to use. You will experiment with paint, mixing colours and blending paint.