This probably seems like an odd pairing of images. Why would I place Frida's portrait of Eva Frederick next to a prison cell from Alcatraz? There are many reasons. First, in 1931 when Frida painted this portrait, African Americans faced segregation, verbal and physical violence directed toward them, and discrimination on many levels. Even though African Americans were no longer deemed slaves, they were still "imprisoned" in a country that did not by and large view African Americans as equal. Some did not even view African Americans as fully human. This is one reason why this portrait of Eva Frederick is so outstanding because Frida imbues Eva with a dignity that was often missing from images of African Americans in this time period. Second, I was on the island of Alcatraz recently for an exhibition of Ai Weiwei, a Chinese artist who uses the former prison as a site for his installations that foreground the importance of freedom. Weiwei has been critical of the Chinese government for its lack of transparency and he found himself in jail for about two months back in 2011. After that, his passport was taken away and his studio in Beijing monitored. For Weiwei, it is extremely important for artists to have the freedom to express themselves. Even though the Chinese government won't allow Weiwei to travel, he worked around this challenge by directing the exhibition long distance. As I was taking the ferry to Alcatraz and looking at all the incredible views of the bay and San Francisco, I thought about Frida and wondered if she looked at Alcatraz while taking a ferry to the Marin side before there was a Golden Gate Bridge. In 1931, Alcatraz was not a federal prison, known for its high profile inmates, such as Al Capone; instead, it was a military prison from 1857-1933. Did Frida know this? Did she know that in 1895, 19 Hopi tribal members from Arizona were imprisoned for a year because they resisted the policy of forced education for their children? Did she marvel at the beauty of the bay or was it too foggy to see much? Once I was on the island, my focus turned to the fascinating history of Alcatraz and the exhibition. I won't describe all the different exhibition spaces, but one in particular that is important to mention today on Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday, filled up a huge room with over 150 faces and names of people from around the world who have been imprisoned for their beliefs. These faces were made out of LEGOS. It was quite amazing! Martin Luther King, Jr.'s face was one of the first I recognized. This brings me to the third reason that I have placed the prison cell from Alcatraz next to Frida's portrait of an African American woman. Today, I am thinking a lot about the Ai Weiwei exhibit with its emphasis upon freedom and what that means for the United States, both in 1931 and 2015. On the King Center website, Coretta Scott King's "The Meaning of the King Holiday" states: "The Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday celebrates the life and legacy of a man who brought hope and healing to America. ...On this holiday, we commemorate the universal, unconditional love, forgiveness and nonviolence that empowered his revolutionary spirit. ...We commemorate on this holiday the man of action, who put his life on the line for freedom and justice every day, the man who braved threats and jail and beatings and who ultimately paid the highest price to make democracy a reality for all Americans." These are only a few excerpts from Coretta Scott King's beautiful essay; I recommend reading the entire piece. It's important to reflect upon her words on this day that is devoted to Dr. King's principles. I hope that Americans (and everyone in the world) truly understand and feel the power of such principles as unconditional love, forgiveness, freedom, justice, and above all, nonviolent action. I admire Dr. King for everything he stood for, but what I admire the most is that he led a movement based on the principles of nonviolence. This is still a revolutionary concept.
My dream is to see a nonviolent America in my lifetime. It would be even grander to see a nonviolent world. I wonder what Frida would say? © Celia S. Stahr 2015
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On New Year's Eve, my husband, daughter, and I watched The Wizard of Oz. It was the first time my daughter had seen this classic movie. She loved it! I'm so happy that she grasps the power of this film. Ever since that night, she's been watching the special features on the DVD and learning the songs and dances. I have to admit, she reminds me of myself when I was a child. For me, it was a little different because I had to wait a year before I could see the magical movie again. I had no DVD to watch over and over as I pleased or any special features to absorb into my consciousness. But, I had a year of anticipation. I'll never forget how exciting it was to have the whole family sit down and watch The Wizard of Oz. It became even more exhilarating when my grandparents bought a color television and we could go to their house and see it in all its glory. How does The Wizard of Oz connect to Frida? For me, the movie is a metaphor for the journey that we're all on. As we head down our very own yellow brick road, we encounter many loves, obstacles, challenges, fears, etc. and, hopefully, we learn the power of our feelings (heart) and the importance of leading a conscious life (brain), one with courage (lion) and a sense of purpose and rootedness ("There's no place like home"). Dorothy also learns a very important lesson: the ability to return home was always within her. She didn't need to look to an external source of power in the form of the Wizard. As I research and write this book about Frida, there are two parallel journeys unfolding. I'm immersing myself into Frida's journey while in the United States, but I'm also on a personal and creative journey writing the book. Just as Dorothy faces the unknown with some friends she makes along the way, Frida also faced the unknown with friends she made in the United States and I have made some important friends who have been helping me to find my voice as a writer. I am so thankful for all the friends and family who have read over drafts, listened to me talk about Frida, contributed to my blog, read my blog, come to my talks, and supported my vision. I feel like Dorothy, but without the gingham dress, surrounded by great and dear friends.
© Celia S. Stahr 2015 |
Celia Stahr teaches art history at the University of San Francisco. She’s interested in women artists and artists who cross cultural boundaries. She fell in love with the power of Frida Kahlo's art in the 1980s, a feeling that has intensified over the years. Frida in America took 10 years to research and write, but Stahr never lost interest in this fascinating woman and artist.
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