Alternate versions of Mack the Knife (1994)

1994 translation
Though the shark's teeth may be lethal,
Still you see white and red.
But you won't Mackie's flick knife,
Cause he slashed you and you're dead.

uncommon final verse
There are some who are in darkness
And the others are in light
And you see the ones in brightness
Those in darkness drop from sight

The only thing I have left to do is finish with my powerpoint. However, I think I am going to need all of the time I have left, because right now I have exactly two slides, and one of them has no words on it.

What was the most challenging aspect of this unit?
The hardest part for me was finding information about the acual panting which I researched. It was much easier to create my own analysis once I got to that point.

What worked well for you?
The blogging was interesting, and the days spent in computer labs were very helpful.

What didn't work well?
The goal of the project was somewhat confusing at first.

Overall Project:
I think that this was an interesting project but it could have used more interaction with other people.

Post 4: Challenges

The biggest challenge I've had thus far is finding information specific to my piece. While Frida Kahlo as an artist is immensely famous and popular, this particular painting is fairly insignificant, or at least unrecognized. It is also not a self-portrait in the traditional sense, which is what she is most famous for. I have also had trouble finding pictures to compare with my piece. However, I have found a lot of information on Frida Kahlo's influences, which has been really interesting.

I found a really good source on google books, called 'The Expanding Discourse: Feminism and Art in History' by Norma Broude and Mary D. Garrard. It has a fairly in depth description of the painting, and mentions that the dress depicted is the traditional clothing of Zapotec women. Apparently Zapotec women "represent an ideal of freedom and economic independance" to a large extent even when compared to other indigineous Mexican groups. The book also mentions that Kahlo more often used Aztec imagery, and that it was an unusual choice when compared with her other work. I'm not certain what this says about her thoughts on New York and Mexico. Did she feel that she had more freedom in Mexico?

When Frida Kahlo painted My Dress Hangs There, she had been living in New York for three years, and was both homesick and isolated.

"[the painting] represents an ironic portrait of American capitalism and superficiality. Filled with symbols of a modern American industrial society, it points to social decay and the destruction of fundamental human values."

My Dress Hangs There, New York

Human Form in Art

I haven't decided yet, but I'm going to do either The Scream by Evard Munch or My Dress Hangs There, New York by Frida Kahlo. The second one might or might not actually fit the requirements.