V-C #23, Frida
Artist
Bradford J. Salamon
(American, born 1963)
Date2022-2023
MediumCharcoal and pencil on raw unstretched cotton canvas
Dimensions108 x 96 in. (274.3 x 243.8 cm)
ClassificationsDrawing
Credit LineGift of the artist
Object number2023.174
Description"I consider these large drawings to be part of an ongoing series of portraits that I call “ Visages” . I started calling the portraits I was doing “Visages” many years ago. The early visages were made with oil paint but the faces were now being disrupted and distorted and so they felt like something new for me. The faces of these recent drawings are done with charcoal on canvas or pencil on paper but they continue to be distorted, so they feel to me like they are part of the same series, however now the distortion comes from other drawing elements that interrupt and come into the positive space of the portrait. The other elements have a conversation with the subjects in direct and indirect ways.Now that I have been doing these drawings for about 2 years people have asked me how I pick my main subjects. I started out doing these drawings of fellow artists that happened to be mostly women. I wanted to have that personal connection to my subject. Maybe that was because I was so isolated by the pandemic. Then I decided to do a few portraits of icons that have affected the lives of many others in profound ways.
The big visage drawing of Frida Kahlo is an example of an icon that has inspired so many people across the world. I picked her because she was a survivor in the face of incredible challenges. She kept making deep and personal work inspired by her ongoing health issues despite being confined to her bed for months at a time. She was able to produce work that was raw and vulnerable. She made art that cut to the bone and went straight to the truth. We all have experienced hardship and pain. Through Kahlo's work we have a kindred spirit that was brave enough to show the world her pain but find a way to rise above it. She is an icon for Chicanos, the LGBTQ+ movement and feminists around the world.
With all these drawings I want the right mix of iconography that is unified and part of a whole, but is open to all kinds of interpretations. I hope when you look at them you will find your own way of seeing them and interpreting their meaning. This way you can bring whatever you want to the work and decide what it is for you."
- Artist’s Statement by Bradford J. Salamon (2022)
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Bradford J. Salamon
