journal (8) Frida Kahlo (1907-1954)

This is an artwork titled Journal (8) that features two stylized figures and Spanish text.

What I see:

• Figures: The central focus is on two figures rendered in a primitivist style with bold outlines and flat colors. The figure on the left is dominant, with a head that appears to be composed of two distinct faces or profiles side-by-side. This figure has one prominent eye. The figure on the right is smaller and embraces the dominant figure. This figures torso is depicted as translucent, revealing a fetus inside. Both figures have visible hearts within their chests, one depicted as a dark red shape and the other as a lighter, more abstract form. Theres a representation of a brain-like structure at the base of the dominant figure.
• Color Palette: The artwork uses a limited palette, with yellow dominating the background and the figures outlined in black. Colors like green, red, pink, and beige are used for the figures bodies and internal organs.
• Text: To the right of the figures, bold, handwritten Spanish text fills much of the space. The text is in a dark brown ink. Some parts of the text are slightly obscured or difficult to read due to the artistic style and the texture of the paper.
• Overall Style: The style is raw and expressive, leaning towards folk art or outsider art, with a strong emphasis on symbolism rather than realistic depiction. The drawing is somewhat crude but conveys a sense of narrative and emotional intensity.

What are the subtexts?

The text, when combined with the imagery, strongly suggests a narrative with symbolic or allegorical undertones:

• PAREJA EXTRAÑA DEL PAIS DEL PUNTO Y LA RAYA. (Strange couple from the country of the dot and the line.) This opening line immediately establishes a sense of otherness and abstraction. Punto y Raya could refer to basic elements of drawing or even abstract concepts of beginning and division.
• OJO-UNICO, CASO CON LA BELLISIMA NEFERISIS (LA INMENSAMENTE SABIA) EN UN MES CALUROSO Y VITAL... (One-eye, married to the very beautiful Neferisis (the immensely wise) in a hot and vital month...)
  • Ojo-unico (one-eye) directly relates to the visual depiction of the dominant figure.
  • Neferisis is a significant name, possibly a play on Nefertiti or Nefisis (Nemesis), suggesting beauty and possibly a divine or powerful feminine entity. The parenthetical immensely wise reinforces this.
  • The mention of a hot and vital month adds a sense of passion and life to their union.
• NACIOLES UN HIJO DE RARA FAZ Y LLAMDSE NEFERUNICO, SIENDO ESTE EL FUNDADOR DE LA CIUDAD COMUNMENTE LLAMADA LOKURA. (A son was born to them of a rare countenance and was named Neferuniko, this one being the founder of the city commonly called Madness.)
  • The revealed fetus within the female figure directly illustrates this section.
  • Neferuniko is a fusion of Nefertiti/Neferisis and Ojo-unico, symbolizing the offspring of this union. Rara Faz (rare countenance) and the unusual name emphasize the unique nature of this child.
  • The naming of the city Lokura (Madness) is particularly potent. It could imply that the lineage or the ideas originating from this strange couple are considered irrational, unconventional, or even deranged by societal standards. It also ties into the surreal and symbolic nature of the artwork itself, suggesting that the world or the artistic perspective being presented is one of madness.

Overall Subtexts:

The artwork seems to explore themes of creation, lineage, unconventional unions, wisdom, and the nature of reality or society. The strange couple and their miraculous offspring represent a union of abstract or singular elements (dot and line, one-eye) with beauty and wisdom. Their child, born into a hot and vital time, goes on to found a city named Madness, suggesting that profound or transformative ideas often originate from outside the norm and may be perceived as disruptive or illogical by mainstream society. The artwork could be a personal myth or a commentary on the genesis of creativity, alternative ways of seeing, or even societal outcasts who shape culture. The visual elements, particularly the multiple faces, the revealed fetus, and the symbolic organs, amplify the narrative of birth, life, and symbolic transformation.