Classroom use of the art print.

Classroom use of the art print. Frida Kahlo Frida Kahlo[1](July 6, 1907 – July 13, 1954) was a Mexican painter, who has achieved great international popularity. She painted using vibrant colors in a style that was influenced by indigenous cultures of Mexico as well as European influences that include (1907-1954). The Two Fridas, 1939. Oil on canvas;68" x 68". Museo Nacional de Arte The Museo Nacional de Arte (MUNAL) is the Mexican National Art Museum, located in the historical center of Mexico City. The museum is housed in a neoclassical building at No. 8 Tacuba, Col. Centro, Mexico City. Moderno, Mexico City Mexico CitySpanish Ciudad de MéxicoCity (pop., 2000: city, 8,605,239; 2003 metro. area est., 18,660,000), capital of Mexico. Located at an elevation of 7,350 ft (2,240 m), it is officially coterminous with the Federal District, which occupies 571 sq mi , D.F.,Mexico. THINGS TO LEARN * Understand that it was very difficult for Frida Kahlo to becomerecognized as a painter when her husband, Diego Rivera, was alreadyfamous. For many years she struggled to establish herself as an artistand eventually became known for her Surrealistic sur��re��al��is��tic?adj.1. Of or relating to surrealism.2. Having an oddly dreamlike or unreal quality.sur��re art that was quitedifferent from her husband's work. * Surrealism in art began following World War I, when artists weresearching for new ways to express themselves after the horrors of thewar. These artists found their ideas in dream-like pictures. Instead ofpainting objects in the world around them, Surrealist artists foundtheir inspiration in dreams and those feelings and emotions that peoplehave deep inside them. Their goal was to achieve a greater truth fromthese ideas and feelings than was possible from painting the everydayworld. The word Surrealism comes from the idea of"super-reality" or "sur-reality" and while none ofthe works of Surrealist artists look alike, many of their pictures arepainted with a strange kind of realism. Some of the leading Surrealist artists were Giorgio De Chirico Noun 1. Giorgio de Chirico - Italian painter (born in Greece) whose deep shadows and barren landscapes strongly influenced the surrealists (1888-1978)Chirico ,Salvador Dali Noun 1. Salvador Dali - surrealist Spanish painter (1904-1989)Dali , Yves Tanguy, Rene Magritte, Joan Miro and Jean Arp Noun 1. Jean Arp - Alsatian artist and poet who was cofounder of dadaism in Zurich; noted for abstract organic sculptures (1887-1966)Arp, Hans Arp . Andsome artists continue to paint Surrealist pictures today. * A good way to learn about art is to play games withreproductions. For example, once students have studied Surrealist artfor a while, they may use their knowledge to improve on what they know. One way might be to play a game where someone shows a mixed set ofart reproductions and the players see who can be first to identify thosepaintings by Surrealists. Something similar might be tried so thatstudents try and be first to name the artists when shown reproductionsof surreal art. * In order to get a better idea of Frida Kahlo's paintings,students may like to study more examples of her work by looking at bookson art and also using computer searches of the World Wide Web. Herpaintings will sometimes be found with other Mexican artists andsometimes under her own name. Her work may also be shown under searchwords such as "Surrealism." Examples may also be found underthe names of art museums where her work is exhibited. * Mexico lies just across the southern border of the United States United States,officially United States of America, republic (2005 est. pop. 295,734,000), 3,539,227 sq mi (9,166,598 sq km), North America. The United States is the world's third largest country in population and the fourth largest country in area. but most U.S. students know very little about that country. Were they tostudy what was happening there during the lifetime of Frida Kahlo theyare more likely to have a better appreciation of her life and her art. For example, the Mexican Revolution was going on during much of herchildhood and affected everyone in the country. And following theRevolution--during the 1920s--one of the greatest periods of art in theworld took place, led by such artists as Diego Rivera, David Siqueiros,Jose Orozco Noun 1. Jose Orozco - Mexican painter noted for his monumental murals (1883-1949)Jose Clemente Orozco, Orozco and Rufino Tamayo Rufino Tamayo (August 25, 1899 – June 24, 1991) was a Zapotecan Indian painter born in Oaxaca de Ju��rez, M��xico, of Mestizo parents.[1][2] Early life . * Girls in art classes may benefit from learning about the problemsfaced by Frida Kahlo when she became the wife of Diego Rivera 70 yearsago. In this country, even when girls with artistic talent got married,most of them were expected to stay at home and bring up a family. In Mexico at that time, young women were even more controlled thangirls in the United States. Yet, despite of these restrictions, FridaKahlo's family permitted her to attend a university preparatoryschool; while later through her own talent and willpower she was able tobecome a well-known artist. In fact, at her death, the country of Mexicorecognized her as a national treasure. Frida Kahlo overcame an additional problem in establishing herselfas an artists: she was Mexican in a world of art that was almostexclusively European. And yet she succeeded in this achievement as welland became one of the first--if not the very first--Surrealist of theNew World. THINGS TO DO * Some students may share the kind of feeling that made Frida Kahlopaint this picture. Perhaps they were born in other countries andemigrated to the United States. If so, they may be encouraged to createtheir own idea of the different ways they think of themselves. Forexample, they might show themselves in one picture as their parents havebrought them up to be as well as the way they like to be thought of bytheir friends. Other kinds of portraits might show them as successful insome sport they value or the toughest member of a gang--or that they arereally very shy. * Some students may discover that they really enjoy Surrealist artand would like to try it themselves. To help them get started, theymight search among successful Surrealist artists and then paint apicture of their own using the style of the artist they liked best. An important part of this painting would be to make sure that theyhad an idea for the painting that they could explain to other studentsin their class. * Costumes can be very useful to help students with their art justas it was for Frida Kahlo in the painting reproduced here. Students mayask one member of a class--or even a visiting parent or grandparent--topose for them. But instead of the model being dressed in everydayclothes, they might be asked to dress in something unusual. For example,some student families may have fancy dress costumes at home that theywould allow to be used for such an occasion. Or the school dramadepartment may have costumes in storage they would allow to be used. Orthe art teacher might have costumes that have been collected especiallyfor an experience like this. A more ambitious effort might be for the teacher together with somestudents to visit a thrift shop and use a small amount of school moneyto purchase clothing they think would be suitable for such a purpose.Such a purchase might serve as the start of collection of clothing thatcould be used in later art classes in different ways. BUILDING A PICTURE FILE This painting may be used to illustrate various art-teaching needs.Potentially useful picture-file categories include: "MexicanArtists: Frida Kahlo"; "Surrealism";"Self-Portraits"; and "Mexican Costumes." For ideas about collecting and retrieving pictures to help inteaching art and other subjects, readers are invited to write to"Guy Hubbard c/o Arts & Activities, 12345 World Trade Drive, SanDiego, CA 92128. E-mail: hubbard@indiana.edu.