SoVA Assignment 3 Option 1

Spying Lens, Lucia Hartini

Hartini has painted realistically to enhance the essence of surrealism. In the foreground, a woman lies suspended in mid-air, curled up in a vulnerable foetal position. She is wrapped in a blue cloth that flows and spans almost the entire painting, draping over walls that are crumbling. This is significant imagery considering the society she lives in, which discriminates against females; blue is known traditionally as a color for males, thus alluding to the gender bias present in Indonesia. She then goes further painting thick, orange brick walls in the fore- and middle-ground cracking under the pressure of the unlikely blue drapery, with the floor in the foreground crumbling. This could show how gender inequality and discrimination may at first seem normal, as it is prevalent in society (noting how the cloth covers a large area of the painting), hence the passive cool color blue. However Hartini may well be trying to say that such discrimination actually does great harm to society at large; as Hartini uses an imbalanced composition and complementary colors (orange walls and a blue background, with blue flowing cloth), she could be saying that discrimination extends beyond personal bias to affect the equilibrium of a stable society. Hence the walls and floors, which could be allusions to Indonesian society, are on the brink of falling apart.

In the middle ground, eyes that are wide open in unforgiving, accusing and unflinching gazes hover over the woman, with red, blue and orange rays of vision extending from the eyes toward their subject of attention. Hartini could be making a statement about how a predominantly Muslim and chauvinistic society is scrutinizing and accusing her and others who are women, who are not going by the traditions of being a housewife, and who are Christians or Catholics. She may be trying to bring across the vulnerability these women feel, as seen from the foetal position the woman is curled up in and the cold gazes of the eyes which surround her from all sides. The fact that the woman is levitating in mid-air also brings across the idea that she is helpless. The unknown woman's eyes are also shut, as though she is asleep, which could show how women are like an influence which under the repressive discriminating hand of society, symbolized by the draping of the woman in the blue cloth, are unable to go forth to fulfill their potential or just to do the things they should have the freedom to do.

In the background, we can see that the zig-zagged walls around the woman extend far beyond into what we cannot see. Hartini might be saying that society has been suffering for a long time from the effects of a society that discriminates against women and non-Muslims. A thick fog curls around the walls in the background and as the viewer's eye travels along with the movement of the fog, the viewer can see that the fog appears to be traveling towards the woman, like a steady infiltration of her privacy. This could also imply how society has been stifled by the dense fog of discrimination, hence growing unsteadily, in that zig-zag fashion, through the ages. Even now, that fog still reaches through and is continuing in its path as it had before.

Self-portrait with Thorn Necklace, Frida Kahlo

Frida Kahlo has painted herself realistically wearing a white garment with a thorn necklace biting into her neck and ending at her shoulders. Kahlo may have meant for the thorn necklace to have religious allusions to the Lord Jesus, whose bruised and broken body was clothed in white linen by Joseph of Arimathea following his Crucifixion. This could show how Kahlo feels hurt, broken and could show how near she was to death on multiple times throughout her short life, showing a vulnerability similar to how Hartini tried to portray herself. A dead hummingbird hangs forth from the necklace. Its wings are parallel to her conjoined eyebrows, emphasizing their thickness and darkness. This could emphasize her individuality, how she feels alone in her sufferings - just as Hartini portrayed a single woman huddled up in the midst of impending chaos. By Mexican tradition, dead hummingbirds are used as charms to help love relationships, showing how Kahlo knows her relationship with Diego is being strained, and, as the mockingbird hangs down as a part of the necklace biting into her neck, where the essential jugular vein is located, she could be saying that their relationship is causing her great pain. This is similar to how Hartini showed the crumbling of the walls, the instability of society which appeared to be strained, right on the brink of falling apart.

Drops of blood drip down her neck from the cuts sustained from the necklace. This could show her hurt from Diego (her husband)'s unfaithfulness, showing how she feels betrayed by men, left alone as seen from how she is the only human figure in the painting. This is just like how Hartini has painted a woman as the only human figure in Spying Lens.

On her head is a structure that appears to act as a giant hair clip. This structure is in the shape of an infinity sign. This is similar to how in Hartini's work, the zig-zag walls extend far off into the distance, implying infinity. Two butterflies are perched on her hair clip. The butterflies could symbolize life, and its renewal, similar to the Resurrection when Jesus rose the third day after his death - the infinity structure could allude to the eternity of life that Jesus spoke of. This could show Kahlo's solemn hopes that through her paintings she could be immortalized and never forgotten. Hartini in contrast, in addition to making a statement on her suffering, also tries to bring to attention the plight of others like her as her work is centered on society. Kahlo's work however is very much about herself alone. The structure atop her head could serve as a triumphant declaration of how she has overcame trials and troubles in her life despite her vulnerabilities - despite having been near death she is yet alive.

On her right shoulder is the pet monkey Diego gave her. This could show how she feels like Diego is a strong presence in her life, showing how much hurt he has caused her. The monkey is also like a symbol of the devil, which could show her bitterness and unhappiness toward Diego.

Perched on her left shoulder is a black cat which by superstition relates to bad luck and death. This could once again show how she feels like she has experienced great troubles. In the background she paints tropical leaves that, when placed together with the thorn necklace, look like the leaves of a tree, with the unwound thorns around Kahlo's shoulders the roots of the tree. Kahlo may be trying to bring across a metaphor of how she feels her life is like a jungle, full of unexpected situations. She may be saying that she is trying to reconcile herself with nature, showing that amidst all her struggles, the bold lush green of her character prevails. She could also be talking about how her struggles have made her. I think of this because with any part of the symbolism missing from the painting, the picture of nature would not be so complete; she has included insects, animals, plants and humans - the four common general categories nature comprises of.

Kahlo's eyes in the painting are distant and downcast, her expression hollow, implying that she has gone through a great deal in her life. Yet her face is nonchalantly lifted up to meet the viewer's, even with the emblems of her suffering wrapped about her, almost ignominiously, as if to say: "This is what I am made of", showing that she still has inner courage despite life's beatings. Hence, I feel that Hartini's work paints a picture of vulnerability and helplessness, while, for Kahlo's, strength and courage underlie the trappings of pain and suffering. Hartini focuses on the image of the foetus in the anonymous woman who is curled up and whose eyes are shut, as though she were asleep. Kahlo turns more to giving the viewer a blatantly frontal view of herself.

For my AEP coursework, I chose to paint a portrait too (like Kahlo's) - only the portrait isn't addressing any personal issues the model faces (although I don't think she has any). Similarly, I used a frontal view to confront the viewer - to force the viewer to see and to think about something.Well, my painting focuses on life in and of itself, about how I view life even though its not me inside. Actually it was meant to be a general message, but as the ideas came out now I realised they were founded on my own perceptions and experience.