An Inner Dialogue with Frida Kahlo (Crown of Thorns)

Yasumasa Morimura
Japan, born 1951
An Inner Dialogue with Frida Kahlo (Collar of Thorns)
Color photograph, edition 8 of 10, 2001 Museum purchase, International and Contemporary Collectors Fund
2002.9
© Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego

When In Time

1932
Jan van Leeuwen born in the Netherlands
 

1932

World War II begins

1945
World War II ends

1959
Russia launches the first space satellite, Sputnik I

1975
First skateboard

1983

CDs begin to replace records and cassette tapes

1992
van Leeuwen creates Aber das letzte wort hatte immer ein spazierstock (But the last word had always a walkingstick)

 

Who What Where When Why

Who is the artist?
Yasumasa Morimura

What is the name of the artwork?
An Inner Dialogue with Frida Kahlo (Crown of Thorns)

What materials were used?
Color photograph

Where is the artist from?
Japan

When was the artwork made?
2001

Who?

Yasumasa Morimura was born in 1951 in Osaka, Japan. He is one of Japan’s most famous artists. Morimura is well-known for his “Art History” series of photographs. In the “Art History” series, Morimura uses famous artworks, like the Mona Lisa, and changes them into photographs that are really of him. For this series, Morimura paints the background of the famous painting on a new canvas. Then he dresses himself up as the person in the famous painting. Then, he takes a photograph of himself in front of the background he painted. So, in the Mona Lisa, instead of having the woman’s face in the picture, Morimura dressed up as the woman and placed himself in front of an identical background that he made. He makes them look very realistic! Morimura says that he wants art to be fun for people and that is why he tries to make people laugh by putting his face in famous artworks.

Why?

An Inner Dialogue with Frida Kahlo (Collar of Thorns), is part of Morimura’s “Art History” series. Morimura used a series of self-portraits by Frida Kahlo, a famous Mexican painter. An Inner Dialogue with Frida Kahlo (Collar of Thorns) is one photograph in a series of photographs that Morimura made when he recreated Kahlo’s work. For this artwork, Morimura wore a black wig, red lipstick, and a collar of thorns—just like Frida Kahlo did in her painting. It took Morimura ten years to recreate all of Kahlo’s self-portraits.

Why do you think Morimura choose Frida Kahlo’s work? By recreating her artwork, what is Morimura saying about Kahlo’s artwork?

This photograph is of Morimura, who is a man, but he is supposed to be Kahlo, a woman. Who do you think the photograph looks more like, a man or a woman? What makes you think that?

An Inner Dialogue with Frida Kahlo (Collar of Thorns) is a photograph, but it looks a lot like a painting. How can you tell if it is a painting or a photograph? What makes you think it is a painting? What makes you think it is a photograph?