Art and mental illness

Art and mental illness

Born in 1907, Frida Kahlo had no dreams of becoming an artist but rather a doctor. However, life had other plans for her art. As an infant, she suffered Polio, an illness that she finally overcame and was healed completely. Later on, while pursuing her dreams of becoming a doctor, Frida was involved in an accident that changed her life completely. She discovered the artist in her while lying in the hospital, amidst the pain and suffering. Although Frida is long gone, the works of art, the self-portraits she left tell her story and feelings candidly and can be used to create an accurate diagnosis of her mental health.

In Frida’s many portraits, she embraced her facial hair and a stoic facial expression avoiding any resemblance of happiness or a smile. As Antelo (2013) puts it, “The stoic expression is observed not only in her self-portraits but also in photographs. As acknowledged by several art historians, Kahlo’s expressions reflect the many physical and emotional challenges that she faced in her life.” The portraits, therefore, tell the story of the beautiful young lady, engulfed in pain, suffering, and depression that denied her the opportunity to be happy, to present a smiley self.  Later, she was diagnosed with minor depression, accompanied suicide attempts.

The work of an artist tells a story. May be self, friends, or a community. For Frida, however, it was evident that most of her works told her story. As an artist, she produced 140 paintings, out of which 55 were self-portraits. One of the portraits in which her pain, suffering, and depression are evident is the “The little deer” painting. In this painting, she engraves her portrait in the body of severely wounded deer, the arrows still on its chest and back, yet still trying to escape through the forest. A huge tree stands in her way.

Figure 1: The Little Deer (“Frida Kahlo – The Complete Works – Biography – frida-kahlo-foundation.org,” 2020)

This painting was symbolic of the experiences she was undergoing. The arrows on the chest show how her heart suffered in her tumultuous marriage. At some point, her husband Rivera cheated on her with her younger sister, Christina, and this must have been very painful. More so, the arrows on the back represent the suffering she endured as a result of the trolley accident. In one of her letters to her friend, Frida writes, “I have two huge scars on my back in this shape. The same scars from the incisions ‘which those surgeon sons of bitches landed me with.” (Budrys, 2006). This statement expresses the pain associated with the tragic accident and the treatment process. She underwent many operations, lost her fertility, and was often hospitalized, cutting her from her usual daily life.

Examining the work of an artist is a valid method of mental diagnosis. As mentioned earlier, artists tell stories in some cases; their lives form the centerpiece of the narrative, as was the case with Frida. Her portraits tell the story behind her life, pain suffering, betrayal, all of which can be connected to depression, a disorder she suffered.

However, diagnosing mental illnesses for artists maybe not as easy as the case of Frida portrayed it. This is because although Frida made herself the character, many artists choose to live two separate lives, the individual personal life, and the artistic character. In this case, it becomes difficult to relate the characters portrayed to the individual. More so, some artist tends to focus on the surrounding hence burying their feelings and challenges.

In conclusion, Frida expresses her feelings in her portraits, and this is helpful in mental illness diagnosis even after she is long gone. Although diagnosis through works of art may be possible and accurate, it may not apply for all artists as some do not relate directly with the art they create.

References

Antelo, F. (2013). Pain and the Paintbrush: The Life and Art of Frida Kahlo. AMA Journal of Ethics, 15(5) 460-465.

Budrys, V. (2006). Neurological Deficits in the Life and Works of Frida Kahlo. European Neurology, 55(1), 4-10. doi: 10.1159/000091136

Frida Kahlo – The Complete Works – Biography – frida-kahlo-foundation.org. (2020). Retrieved 30 January 2020, from http://www.frida-kahlo-foundation.org/biography.html