Compare The Borderline Between Mexico And The United States By Frida Kahlo

829 Words2 Pages

Self-portrait on the Borderline Between Mexico and the United States was painted by Frida Kahlo, a Mexican self portrait artist in 1932 while being homesick as she accompanied her husband on his mission to paint murals in the United States. My first general impression of this painting is that it is very chaotic. On one side of the painting you can see machines with their cable lines buried into the ground, skyscrapers and smoke stacks while on the opposite side, flowers with their roots buried in the ground, figurines, what looks to be a pile of rock with cloud formations showing both sun and moon. This painting depicts representation for both Mexico, in which Kahlo is originally from and the United States, in which she was currently residing during the creation of this painting. Mexico is represented by the bright wild plants, flowers and cacti on one side, while the United States is represented with tall, dull colored buildings on the other side. The Mexican flag is held in her hand, while the United States flag is seen in the …show more content…

This painting makes me think that Kahlo is thinking about the both sides of her life, her life that she new in Mexico and her life living in the United States with her husband. The picture shows Kahlo in the middle of both sides of the countries she is portraying as all the objects orbit around her. I feel this portrait shows her exploring her feelings and she may feel torn between the two countries. She wants to support her husband and may enjoy the big city as she can progress in her own art work as well, yet misses her earthly, natural home town. I think this portrait also shows her inner sorrows as she “desperately wanting to have a child, she again experienced heartbreak when she miscarried in 1934” (The Biography.com). We can see this from the dolls that lie next to her in “the juxtaposition suggesting the cycle of life and death”

Open Document