Trippy Tears
An example of graphic design that I found in the wild is this beautiful painting of Frida Kahlo. I found this painting at a local market in Playa del Carmen, Mexico. It was so mesmerizing that I just had to buy it and take it home! This painting has the qualities of a ‘posterized’ image through its use of color vibration. One detail in this painting that I truly love are her tears which remind me of the trompe l’oeil (fool-the-eye) technique. A rainbow runs down her face replacing her tears. The artist could have simply wanted to create a ‘trippy’ painting. However, I can’t help but think that the artist could have also wanted to portray a message with this detail. I believe that the message could be about Frida’s life and how through her troubles and sadness, there came great beauty and creativity. It was only through her accident and her husband’s infidelity that she was able to create the beautiful paintings we all know today. I appreciate every thought put into this unique painting and I hope I can make its artist proud and apply their message in my life.
At first, I was attracted to this painting because of its vibrant color and beautiful details. However, after reading your post and got a better understanding about the possible meaning behind the painting I was shook. I have to agree that the painting would be a perfect image for a poster design due to its modern art style and the wise choice of color. However, I think the respect of the artist of this painting for Frida Kahlo is what makes it even more unique and meaningful. The artist must be a fan of Frida Kahlo to be able to understand her pain and tragic life in order to create such a beautiful portrait of her. I also notice that the use of opposite color themes going on in the painting might also help to emphasize another possible meaning behind it. The colors of the background and her tears are much warmer and more vibrant unlike the cold blue tone of her face. So maybe the use of the opposite color themes here is to indicate that her inside is lonely and full of sadness but she has to try to look happy and beautiful to cover it up?