Ranford Art + Survival

 

Three pieces we should bring into our future are “The Starry Night”, “The Two Fridas”, and “The Official Portrait of President Barack Obama”. These pieces are important because of the contents, the art movements that these pieces represent, the artists themselves and how they contributed to society, and the representation of minority groups in their art. 

“The Starry Night” created by Vincent van Gogh is probably one of the most recognizable pieces in the world. The piece itself features the starry night sky, the moon, and the city below it. With the swirling and curving lines created by thick brush strokes, The piece was inspired by van Gogh’s view from the Saint-Paul-de-Mausole asylum in Saint-Rémy (“Vincent van Gogh. The Starry Night. Saint Rémy, June 1889”). It might be one of the most masterful pieces I've included as it could be considered the picture definition of impressionism because of its focus on nature and light and of course the brushstrokes. Using these colors and brush strokes, the piece is meant to invoke the feeling van Gogh felt while looking out the window of the asylum. (Paulson, 2015) This piece will and has impacted society because of how influential it is. Impressionism is arguably one of the biggest art movements and not including an impressionist piece would mean that the art movement would be lost to history.  

The Starry Night - Vincent van Gogh 1889

The piece “The Two Fridas (Las dos Fridas)” was created by Frida Kahlo in 1939. It features two self portraits of Frida Kahlo holding hands. They are also connected by their hearts by a thin vein. The Frida Kahlo on the left has a weak and dying heart, she also cut the vein causing blood to run over her dress. On the right, her heart is strong and healthy. She’s also holding a small portrait of Deigo Rivera (Frida Kahlo’s ex husband). The meaning behind this piece was the struggle of duality of your inner and outermost self. (Bravo, 2015). This piece needs to be preserved because of the fantastical element she uses in the art movement known as “magical realism”. Not only is the style of art one of the most influential things, but Frida Kahlo herself is just, if not more important than the piece itself. Despite the strict gender norms in the 1900s, Frida Kahlo was known for breaking down those social conventions. She wore her hair short, wore pants, and often wore suits in family portraits. She was a feminist icon who paved the way for future generations, and her and her art should always be memorialized. 

Las Dos Fridas - Frida Kahlo 1939

“The Official Portrait of President Barack Obama” was created by Kehinde Wiley in 2018. The portrait features Barack Obama sitting in a chair with brightly colored leaves and flowers behind him. The flowers in the background are meant to represent various aspects of Obama. The chrysanthemums are the official flower of Chicago where he went to school, jasmines which represent Hawaii where he was born and spent most of his childhood, and the african blue lilies which represent his late Kenyan father. (Wiley, 2018). This portrait is his most notable work, although almost all of his work features hyper realistic african-american models. This piece is crucial to preserve because of the african-american representation that is featured in his art. That factor, and also including the fact that the model was the first african-american president makes this piece crucial to history as well.

The Official Portrait of President Barack Obama - Kehinde Wiley 2018

These pieces are important to preserve so we don't forget how important these pieces are to our history. The pieces “The Starry Night”, “The Two Fridas”, and “The Official Portrait of President Barack Obama” may seem to not have any similarities at first, but these are the pieces that are crucial to bring to our future.

Works Cited

Bravo, Maria. “» Frida Kahlo, The Two Fridas (Las dos Fridas).” Smarthistory, 2015, https://smarthistory.org/kahlo-the-two-fridas-las-dos-fridas/. Accessed 20 November 2023.

Paulson, Noelle. “» Vincent van Gogh, The Starry Night.” Smarthistory, 2015, https://smarthistory.org/van-gogh-the-starry-night/. Accessed 20 November 2023.

“Vincent van Gogh. The Starry Night. Saint Rémy, June 1889.” MoMA, 2019, https://www.moma.org/collection/works/79802. Accessed 20 November 2023.

Wiley. “Official Portrait of President Obama.” Kehinde Wiley, 2018, https://kehindewiley.com/special-projects/official-portrait-of-president-barack-obama/. Accessed 20 November 2023.