Marxism Will Heal the Sick and In Praise of Water: A Comparative Analysis
Marxism Will Heal the Sick
Doc January, 1964
Tech: Oil on Wood, 76cm x 61cm
Style: Surrealism
Location: Coyoacán, Distrito Federal, Mexico
Historical Context
Frida Kahlo (born July 6, 1907) died at the age of 47 during the Cold War. Her life, marked by suffering, was reflected in her artwork. The Cold War (1947-1991) was a period of geopolitical tension between the United States and the Soviet Union and their respective allies. Conflicts during this era included the Berlin Blockade, the Korean War, the Cuban Missile Crisis, and the Vietnam War.
“Marxism Will Heal the Sick” is a surrealist piece reflecting Kahlo’s study of Freud. Surrealists sought to portray a more authentic reality through the expression of the unconscious.
Formal Analysis
Plastic Items
The intensity of pain and suffering is depicted through the free and fast brushstrokes, with less emphasis on detail.
Composition
The painting exhibits a degree of symmetry. The crutches form falling lines and a triangular composition. Kahlo’s figure occupies the central area. The background is divided: the left depicts rivers, red countries (USSR and China), and the dove of peace; the right shows an explosion and blood traversing the land, the American eagle with Uncle Sam’s head, and a pump-like body with Karl Marx’s face.
Style
Frida Kahlo’s work is often categorized as surrealism. However, she remained independent of European models, opting for native iconography and symbolism.
Content, Interpretation, and Significance
Frida Kahlo’s life was marked by suffering. The Mexican artist, who already held communist ideas, embraced Marxist doctrine more firmly in her later years, hoping to find meaning in her pain. Stalin’s death left her emotionally and politically affected.
The painting depicts Kahlo in a leather corset, symbolizing her suffering, against a divided landscape. On the right, blue rivers contrast with the red of the USSR and China, alongside the dove of peace. On the left, an explosion threatens the Earth, causing rivers of blood. The American eagle with Uncle Sam’s head and a pump-like body is grasped by Karl Marx, symbolizing the hope that Marxism will liberate the world from imperialism and bring peace.
Two hands (one carrying the eye of wisdom) hold Kahlo, suggesting a miraculous healing and release from her crutches.
Function
The painting represents Kahlo’s attempt to find solace in Marxist ideology and her art to alleviate her suffering.
In Praise of Water
Doc January, 1987
Tech: Steel and Concrete, Monochrome
Style: Abstract Art
Dimensions: 720cm x 650cm x 1200cm
Location: Park de la Creueta del Coll, Barcelona, Spain
Historical Context
Abstract art, a movement encompassing sculpture, emerged with the use of new materials. Basque sculptor Eduardo Chillida created large structures using iron or concrete, reflecting the forces of nature.
Formal Analysis & Composition
The work, a 54-ton concrete mass, is suspended 80cm above an artificial pond using steel cables. The sculpture features a cuboid top with four emerging arms. The contrast between the weight and volume and the lightness of being suspended creates a striking visual effect.
Style
Chillida’s style transitioned from figuration to abstraction. His works progressively increased in scale. His style is characterized by intersecting surfaces, exploring the balance between solids and voids, and the interplay of light and shadow. For large reinforced concrete works, Chillida followed these steps:
- Create a model.
- Build a full-size polystyrene sculpture.
- Cover the structure with wood.
- Dismantle and reassemble it at the exhibition site.
- Fill the mold with concrete.
- Remove the wooden formwork.
Content, Interpretation, and Significance
The reflection in the water is integral to the work, referencing the Greek myth of Narcissus. Narcissus, a youth of extraordinary beauty, rejected all advances. One day, while drinking from a pond, he became enamored with his reflection but could not touch it. Realizing it was his own image, he was consumed by melancholy and impotence. The sculpture’s arms symbolize the longing to unite with one’s other half.
Function
The sculpture was commissioned by the Barcelona City Council. It has become the central visual element of the park where it is located.