Achieving Visual Literacy: An Analysis of the Symbolization of Frida Kahlo's Agonized Poetry

增強視覺書寫能力：芙烈達•卡蘿“極苦詩篇”的象徵分析

馬丁•福客(Martin Forker)

女性 ； 分裂 ； 母親 ； 身分 ； 視覺書寫能力 ； 象徵 ； fragmentation ； identity ； motherhood ； symbolism ； womanhood ； visual literacy

藝術教育研究

18期（2009 / 12 / 01）

127 - 182

英文

此論文說明「象徵」對藝術教育的重要性，探討藝術系學生視覺書寫能力以及他們是否具備了解畫作深層含義之能力。本文提供充足的芙烈達•卡蘿(Frida Kahlo)畫作的先前知識，藉此幫助學生建構較好的知識基礎以及發展對藝術品的詮釋能力。因此，本文檢視芙烈達•卡蘿「極苦詩篇」的多重意義象徵。研究結果發現，卡蘿爲減輕她個人之悲劇及極度哀傷的負作用，所以試圖借助凝聚作用來阻止長期分裂的感情。在多次描述小產以及不孕的憂慮中，卡蘿的母親身份象徵，顯露出殘缺不全的自我，她以種族象徵強調自己爲國母的角色。她以完美母親的角色，出現在婚姻關係中，而其丈夫的形象則是幼稚的。臥床期間，她從鏡中的自畫像反映出欲與母親建立親密關係，及證實自己之所以存在的價值。此外，卡蘿對女性身份的「極苦象徵」強調出女性的嬌柔、渴望被愛及被最愛所出賣等，並在飛翔的表徵中強烈表達出對解脫病痛的渴求。

It is argued that the present study is important to art education as it stresses the significance of art students' visual literacy and their ability to comprehend the deeper symbolic meanings within an image. This study provides art students with adequate prior knowledge of Frida Kahlo's artworks to help them form a stronger knowledge-base and to develop their interpretive skills of artworks. Accordingly, this study examines the polysemic symbolization of Frida Kahlo's ”agonized poetry”. The findings show that Kahlo attempted to avert chronic feelings of fragmentation by using cohesive functions in order to reduce the negative effects of personal tragedy and heartbreak. Kahlo's motherhood symbolization reveals her fragmented self as in her numerous depictions of miscarriages and abortions, and in her fears of infertility. Her ethno-symbolization underscores her role of a national motherhood figure. Kahlo adopts the role of the Perfect Mother in her maternal relationship with her infantile-like husband. Kahlo's preoccupation with mirrored self portraits reflects the separation phase with her mother and also underlines her self-affirmation to her existence. Moreover, her agonized symbolization of womanhood underscores her femininity, her desire to be loved, and as a woman betrayed by those whom she most loved. Kahlo's symbolization of flight underpins her desire to be released from her agonized reality.

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