Artist Comparison (Khalo, Sherman, & Xiuwen)

In observing and studying the works of Frida Khalo, it becomes quite obvious that the many aspects of her life have influenced the way she went about creating her artwork. Especially in her self-portraits, she seemed to depict herself as somewhat of a divided person given her tough relationship with her husband Diego, and given the many physical sufferings she had experienced throughout her life, such as contracting polio, and injuring her spine in a bus accident. However, as divided as she was, I believe that Frida's work reflects a desire for independence, and the need to portray women as independent beings. Moreover, I feel that she achieved that through using herself as the main subject of many of her portraits, and also through distinctive elements such as her very dark, defined eyebrows. Most of all, I feel that she wanted to convey a message of internal conflict and struggle that many women face throughout their lives.

As for Cindy Sherman, I seemed to find a little bit of a deeper message within her works, even though we have already had an opportunity to look at, and study some of her works. It seems to me that while Sherman is the main subject within almost all of her photographs, she is trying to explain how women can be viewed in different ways with the many different,yet stereotypical, roles they can take on in life. However, Sherman's works are also a bit darker in certain respects, not only with her lighting, but also in some of the scenes that she is depicting. They give off an eerie feel, and in some ways can be viewed as a woman's personal struggle to overcome the stereotypes, and break the mold that society has set up for them.

Finally, when looking at the works of Cui Xiuwen, specifically her "Angel" series, the images almost seem surreal. At the same time, Xiuwen is using a model to portray the experiences and struggles of young women in Chinese society, specifically teenage pregnancy. She places the model in different poses, sometimes almost awkward and strange poses, in order to depict the different stages and discomforts of pregnancy such as morning sickness, bloating, extreme fatigue, exhaustion, and shifts in hormones. Another element that I noticed within the series is the expression on the model's face, and how at times her expression is that of lonliness, helplessness, or confusion; these are emotions that any young woman in that situation would feel. Again, there is that element of personal struggle that seems to be present within each of the artists' works.


Overall, after looking at the works of Khalo, Sherman, and Xiuwen, I have noticed a common theme of portraying an internal hardship that sometimes occurs within oneself. I also noticed how each of their bodies of work seem to represent the expected roles of women in society in one way or another, and the struggles that they are faced with in everyday life. Small elements of their work such as the use of themselves, or in Xiuwen's case a model, as the main subject of their works is another similarity among them, working to convey the ultimate message of a woman's search for independence.