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| The Wounded Deer (1946) |
The subject matter of this painting isn't beautiful in itself. The thought of a human/deer hybrid getting shot at by several arrows isn't exactly pleasant. It's the actual pain behind the work that prompts me to feel deeply sympathetic toward Kahlo.
Line plays an important role in this work. The vertical dead tree lines fuel the painting with energy. Motion exists in the deer's bent legs. The arrows stick out from the flesh at various angles, which keeps me moving through the work. The horizontal line in the background acts like the eye of the storm, so to speak. I feel the pained deer running from her attacker, but that peek of ocean provides a soothing break from the action.
Color also plays a vital role here. This painting is largely monochromatic with the different shades of brown. I imagine the dull color reflects Kahlo's emotional state at the time. Once again, the pop of blue sky and ocean stands out. Not only is there a calming effect in the horizontal line, but there's also an effect in the color. Blue is typically associated with tranquility, and I feel that whenever my eye goes back to that space.
Texture adds a certain eeriness to the work. There's something unsettling with the way the light shines on the dead trees. The light reveals broken branches, along with splitting and rotting bark. This forest doesn't look like a whimsical Disney Princess abode.
Shape and form give the painting depth. The deer's body takes on a rectangular shape, and the trees are also rectangular. Circles and ovals exist on some of the trees, which gives further evidence of rotting bark. The way the tree line curves shows me that the scene extends back beyond the deer. A square contains the sky and ocean, and I want the deer to run that way so she escapes out of the spooky forest.
The spacing makes me feel tense. There's so much energy contained in such a tight space that I feel constricted. The abundance of positive space makes the work successful, though, because this is exactly what the painter wanted. She wanted her audience to get a feel for how she feels. The bit of negative space acts as an outlet, which is much appreciated.
Like I mentioned earlier, Kahlo's subjects aren't beautiful. It's her bold use of the design elements that helps me get a deeper, more intimate understanding of who she is and what she went through.
Texture adds a certain eeriness to the work. There's something unsettling with the way the light shines on the dead trees. The light reveals broken branches, along with splitting and rotting bark. This forest doesn't look like a whimsical Disney Princess abode.
Shape and form give the painting depth. The deer's body takes on a rectangular shape, and the trees are also rectangular. Circles and ovals exist on some of the trees, which gives further evidence of rotting bark. The way the tree line curves shows me that the scene extends back beyond the deer. A square contains the sky and ocean, and I want the deer to run that way so she escapes out of the spooky forest.
The spacing makes me feel tense. There's so much energy contained in such a tight space that I feel constricted. The abundance of positive space makes the work successful, though, because this is exactly what the painter wanted. She wanted her audience to get a feel for how she feels. The bit of negative space acts as an outlet, which is much appreciated.
Like I mentioned earlier, Kahlo's subjects aren't beautiful. It's her bold use of the design elements that helps me get a deeper, more intimate understanding of who she is and what she went through.
