Liza Bakewell's Remembrance Of An Open Wound

In the beginning of this article, the author Liza Bakewell begins by discussing the profound impact that Frida Kahlo and her work has had on numerous types of people from all over the world. Bakewell then uses the rest of the article to begin to unearth what it is about Frida that resonates and feels so familiar to a variety of different people. It is argued that Frida uses identity politics, specifically Mexican identity, and subjectivity to construct a self that is portrayed within her paintings. Frida lived during a time where the nation of Mexico was attempting to construct a new identity born out of the revolution. It is within this context that Frida demonstrates her individual identity, as a woman of mixed blood, and brings a
In addition, Bakewell notes the use of subjecthood within Frida’s work that plays with Mexican symbols and status quo discourse. At the time of Frida’s life women were constructed as other, and within her work she directly challenges this notion. An example of this is within Bakewell’s interpretation of one of Frida’s painting titled Remembrance of an Open Wound. This piece of artwork clearly demonstrates how Frida rejected the common gendered ideologies of the time. An open wound was used as a symbol by Mexican society to demonstrate women’s inherent inferiority. The vagina was described as a “wound that never heals”, or an open wound, that was created by being torn open by a man. Frida immediately rejects this notion of female that is viewed in a negative light in conjunction to masculinity, and she uses this painting to directly challenge the notion of an open wound. Bakewell
The answer is yes. Bakewell argues that “the popularity of Frida’s work is best explained as offering models with which individuals today can attempt to meet those preconditions”. I would also agree with this statement. Through learning about Frida, her life, and work, it is clear that she was attempting to bring power back into herself that she could use to understand her own personal subjective identity. This statement is powerful and I would argue resonates with anyone who has struggled with feelings that come from being marginalized in a society that has defined their identity for them. Frida’s work must be interpreted within the context of the time she grew up, in addition to her own political ideology. This to me ties in well with the famous feminist saying: “the personal is political”. Frida used her own personal self to demonstrate her political beliefs and to construct her own identity. This also ties in well with Joan Scott’s argument that gender and politics are intertwined, and Frida uses her painting to display this connection. The political framework she lived under defined her gender using political discourse and Frida then used her personal gender and subjecthood to create political statements that contradicted the status