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THE F-POKER CARD
The art work “F-Poker Cards” has been selected for The World of Frida Exhibition at Bedford Gallery in San Francisco, 2018 and ready to travel nationally in 2019
“I am my own muse, I am the subject I know the best. The subject I want to know better.”
The purpose and the aim of the artwork are to celebrate and salute the great Mexican artist Frida Kahlo de Rivera, who is famous of the unique style of self-portraits. The best way to study new knowledge is through playing games. I would like audiences could understand more how Frida’s artwork related to her life through my Poker Cards.
Frida likes to draw two versions of the artist sitting side by side two show her mental world and external state. That becomes one of the reasons why I decided to create Poker cards. I choose eight of Frida’s drawings and illustrate to my style, make some changes and design according to the artist's life experiences. Then place them into appropriate suits.
FRONT VIEW
Heart
The suit "Heart" represents love and relationship. I explored Frida's love story on this card.
"I have suffered two serious accidents in my life. One is a streetcar ran over me. The other accident is Diego", said Frida. Through the content and Frida's life experiences, we could know that her husband, Diego Rivera, is one of the most important people in Frida's life.
I chose Frida's drawing, "Frida and Diego Rivera" which was drawn after their wedding. illustrate to my style. Then, I illustrate the drawing to my style, redesigned the orientation and make the two figures become one. Also, I changed two of the brushes in Diego's hand to two knives with blood, which represents the hurt Diego brought to Frida.
CLUB
The suit "Club" represents youth age and education. I explored the car accident in Frida's youth age and the start of her self-portraits.
The upper figure is the draft from Frida's sketchbook which described how she looked like after the car accident. I completed the sketch and redesigned her face to make her look more peaceful, which represents her strong and optimistic will.
The lower figure is from her first self-portrait, "Self Portrait in a Velvet Dress". This drawing was used as a token of love to regain the affection from her lover. Her boyfriend Alejandro thinks she is too liberal and this makes their relationship turn sour. The drawing is not only the start of her self-portraits but also the start of becoming a great artist.
DIAMOND
The suit "Diamond" represents growth. I explored the middle age of Frida and the pain she suffered.
The upper figure is from the drawing "Self Portrait with Cropped Hair". Frida drew this after she divorced Diego. This self-portrait seems to express her desire for the freedom and independence of a man. I added a clipped blood vessel to represent the end of her past. Also, the blood vessel works in concert with the lower figure, which is from one of her most well-known portrait "The Two Frida". I combined the dress of the two figures on the original drawing and keep the face of the "loved" Frida who wears the traditional Mexican dress. Then, replaced the blood vessel with hair which represented her love to Diego on the upper drawing.
spade
The suit "Spade" represents old age, death and wisdom. I explored one of her latest drawing and the world of her death.
The upper figure is from Frida's self-portrait "The Broken Column". Skull represents death in Mexican culture.Also, Frida desire health in her entire life. Thus, I replaced the broken building to a health spine to represents the a healthy Frida in the land of death.
The lower figure is from the self-portrait "Marxism Will Give Health to the Sick Frida". This is one of her drawing in her last days. Frida introduced a political dimension into her work. Faith influenced Frida's whole life and made her unique, wisdom and amazing.
BACK VIEW
On the back view of the poker cards are four icons that Frida liked to draw on her paintings, such as butterfly, thorns and a wall of large tropical plant leaves as the background.
