Art History Writing Assignment Blind Date Art History Writing Assignment

The Surrealist artist sought to channel the unconscious as a means to unlock the power of the imagination. Their emphasis on the power of personal imagination puts them in the tradition of Romanticism, but unlike their forbears, they believed that revelations could be found in the streets and everyday life What is Surrealism?

Frida Kahlo Born: July 6th 1906 Mexico City, Mexico Died: July 13th 1954 http://sites.psu.edu/unspokenartists/2015/11/20/frida-kahlo-surrealism/

Frida’s Work Drawing on personal experiences, including her marriage, her miscarriages, and her numerous operations, Kahlo's works often are characterized by their stark portrayals of pain. Of her 143 paintings, 55 are self-portraits which often incorporate symbolic portrayals of physical and psychological wounds. She insisted, "I never painted dreams. I painted my own reality".

Work Continued… Kahlo was deeply influenced by indigenous Mexican culture, which is apparent in her use of bright colors and dramatic symbolism. She frequently included the symbolic monkey. In Mexican mythology, monkeys are symbols of lust, yet Kahlo portrayed them as tender and protective symbols. Christian and Jewish themes are often depicted in her work. She combined elements of the classic religious Mexican tradition with surrealist renderings.

Candidate #1 : Self Portrait with Thorn Necklace and Hummingbird 1940 Oil on Canvas The frontal position and direct state of Kahlo in this self portrait directly confronts and engages the viewer. A dead hummingbird, a symbol of Mexican folkloric tradition of luck charms for falling in love, hangs in the center of her necklace A black cat is symbolic of bad luck and crouches behind her left shoulder and a spider monkey gifted from Rivera, symbolic of evil is included in her right.

What is Post Impressionism? Post impressionism encompasses a wide range of distinct artistic styles that all share a common motivation of responding to the opticality of the Impressionism. The movement ushered in an era during which paintings transcended from their traditional role as a window onto the world to a window into the artists mind and soul.

Vincent Van Gogh Van Gogh's dedication to articulating the inner spirituality of man and nature led to a fusion of style and content that resulted in dramatic, imaginative, rhythmic, and emotional canvases that convey far more than the mere appearance of the subject. Born: March 30, 1853 - Groot-Zundert, The Netherlands Died: July 29, 1890 - Auvers-sur-Oise, France

Although the source of much upset during his life, Van Gogh's mental instability provided the frenzied source for the emotional renderings of his surroundings and imbued each image with a deeper psychological reflection and resonance. Van Gogh's unstable personal temperament became synonymous with the romantic image of the tortured artist. His self-destructive talent was echoed in the lives of many artists in the twentieth century.

Candidate #2: Van Gogh did not have money to pay models to pose for portraits nor did he have many people commissioning him to do portraits, so Van Gogh painted his own portrait. Van Gogh did not see portrait painting as merely a means to an end; he also believed that portrait painting would help him develop his skills as an artist. In a letter to his brother Theo dated September 16, 1888, Van Gogh writes about a self-portrait he painted and dedicated to his friend and fellow artist Paul Gauguin,

Create a dating profile for each candidate The Assignment Create a dating profile for each candidate This should include : Name Age Occupation Hobbies Looking For… Ideal Date One Fun Fact

The Paper At Least 3 Paragraphs Contains some background history of each piece NEATLY written, or printed Grammar Check w/ Signature (parent or classmate) 1: Before the Date How did they get matched up? Profile, a friend, co-worker, snap chat, texting, letter, phone call etc. 2: During the Date Be creative! Use the art history to come up with a story. Use the personalities you developed to lead the way! 3: After the Date What happens? Do they stay in touch, get married, never talk to each other again?

http://sites.psu.edu/unspokenartists/2015/11/20/frida-kahlo-surrealism/ http://www.theartstory.org/movement-surrealism-artworks.htm#pnt_1 http://www.frida-kahlo-foundation.org/biography.html http://www.theartstory.org/movement-post-impressionism.htm