Project Frida
Goal project for this year-- a large Frida retablo for my bathroom. (Don't laugh, I've had some sort of Frida shrine in a bathroom of one house or another for more than 15 years--much to the distress of my kids, who used to be embarrassed when people came out wondering why I had the weird pictures of that woman and the collection of the little skeletons in a glass case over the toilet. My oldest son thought this shrine must be somewhat disquieting to visitors. (well....yes...) The only good thing about my dusty little collection of Frida "cochinadas" nowadays is that I no longer have to explain to people who that woman with the weird eyebrows is. Kinda sad actually. I liked it when I felt she was my secret, now she's the world's. Ah well... She's still my girl and I'm excited about updating the glass case in my bathroom with something that shows off a little of both of us.
So this is what my Frida retablo looks like at the moment. Sitting on my half of one of our studio desks.. and I actually cleaned it up a bit for this photo. Looks messy I know, but I'm thinking creative chaos. Things are obviously stewing here. A slow simmer for months and months. The basic wood retablo is cut (although not exactly obvious in construction here. Looks like one long rectangle, but it really has two levels and an arched top.
And this is where everything "Frida" gets thrown at the moment, with the exception of the many photos I want to incorporate...they are safe in my drawer. OOps, the little froggie tile on the right bottom corner won't be on this piece. Frida preferred monkeys, cats and parrots....will have to see how good I am at sculpting one of those?
Played around with making a flat tile inspired by one of her pictures called, "The Broken Column." But seems kind of boring. Besides this baby needs to be vibrantly colored!
Did a 3D version of that picture including the nails (this piece is yet to be glazed...or might use oxides??)
Lots of little handmade tiles both glass and ceramic (thinking about how Laurie Mika's puts together her work here-- but forget the plastic looking polymer clay. I'm a ceramic girl.) A page from Frida's journal I will put under glass. Want to use lots of text throughout this piece--words in clay, words in beads, words under glass. Her words...commentary about her work. Commentary about Frida's commercialization/ iconization. 
Here's a beaded pin someone made, and I just had to buy. Love multimedia.! This artist's work will now become part of mine. 
And this is the top of the retablo. In classic form, only made from ceramic instead of carved in wood. Ceramics here are in bisqued state. Sacred Heart has a banner that reads "Viva La Vida" the last words Frida painted on one of her last still lifes before she died. Long Live Life! Now just need to get brave and commit to colors, then glaze and refire them. 
Love the tiny Mexican lottery cards pertinent to Frida like the deer (bottom right corner, and the corazon and the skeleton made and under glass. How to put this baby together and call it art? That's the delicious (scary) part. Had wanted to wait until I got to go to see the Frida's exhibit at the San Franciso MOMA before I started on this adventure. Saw it last Friday..amazing....finishing my sculpture class at UC Berkeley next week, time to get to work.
So this is what my Frida retablo looks like at the moment. Sitting on my half of one of our studio desks.. and I actually cleaned it up a bit for this photo. Looks messy I know, but I'm thinking creative chaos. Things are obviously stewing here. A slow simmer for months and months. The basic wood retablo is cut (although not exactly obvious in construction here. Looks like one long rectangle, but it really has two levels and an arched top.
And this is where everything "Frida" gets thrown at the moment, with the exception of the many photos I want to incorporate...they are safe in my drawer. OOps, the little froggie tile on the right bottom corner won't be on this piece. Frida preferred monkeys, cats and parrots....will have to see how good I am at sculpting one of those?
Played around with making a flat tile inspired by one of her pictures called, "The Broken Column." But seems kind of boring. Besides this baby needs to be vibrantly colored!
Did a 3D version of that picture including the nails (this piece is yet to be glazed...or might use oxides??)
Lots of little handmade tiles both glass and ceramic (thinking about how Laurie Mika's puts together her work here-- but forget the plastic looking polymer clay. I'm a ceramic girl.) A page from Frida's journal I will put under glass. Want to use lots of text throughout this piece--words in clay, words in beads, words under glass. Her words...commentary about her work. Commentary about Frida's commercialization/ iconization. 
Here's a beaded pin someone made, and I just had to buy. Love multimedia.! This artist's work will now become part of mine. 
And this is the top of the retablo. In classic form, only made from ceramic instead of carved in wood. Ceramics here are in bisqued state. Sacred Heart has a banner that reads "Viva La Vida" the last words Frida painted on one of her last still lifes before she died. Long Live Life! Now just need to get brave and commit to colors, then glaze and refire them. 
Love the tiny Mexican lottery cards pertinent to Frida like the deer (bottom right corner, and the corazon and the skeleton made and under glass. How to put this baby together and call it art? That's the delicious (scary) part. Had wanted to wait until I got to go to see the Frida's exhibit at the San Franciso MOMA before I started on this adventure. Saw it last Friday..amazing....finishing my sculpture class at UC Berkeley next week, time to get to work. 
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