 Frida Kahlo, "Portrait of Eva Frederick," 1931, oil on canvas. Museo Dolores Olmedo, Xochimilco, Mexico City. |  Cell on Alcatraz Island, 2015. |
This probably seems like an odd pairing of images. Why would I place Frida's portrait of Eva Frederick next to a prison cell from Alcatraz? There are many reasons. First, in 1931 when Frida painted this portrait, African Americans faced segregation, verbal and physical violence directed toward them, and discrimination on many levels. Even though African Americans were no longer deemed slaves, they were still "imprisoned" in a country that did not by and large view African Americans as equal. Some did not even view African Americans as fully human. This is one reason why this portrait of Eva Frederick is so outstanding because Frida imbues Eva with a dignity that was often missing from images of African Americans in this time period.
Second, I was on the island of Alcatraz recently for an exhibition of Ai Weiwei, a Chinese artist who uses the former prison as a site for his installations that foreground the importance of freedom. Weiwei has been critical of the Chinese government for its lack of transparency and he found himself in jail for about two months back in 2011. After that, his passport was taken away and his studio in Beijing monitored. For Weiwei, it is extremely important for artists to have the freedom to express themselves. Even though the Chinese government won't allow Weiwei to travel, he worked around this challenge by directing the exhibition long distance.
As I was taking the ferry to Alcatraz and looking at all the incredible views of the bay and San Francisco, I thought about Frida and wondered if she looked at Alcatraz while taking a ferry to the Marin side before there was a Golden Gate Bridge. In 1931, Alcatraz was not a federal prison, known for its high profile inmates, such as Al Capone; instead, it was a military prison from 1857-1933. Did Frida know this? Did she know that in 1895, 19 Hopi tribal members from Arizona were imprisoned for a year because they resisted the policy of forced education for their children? Did she marvel at the beauty of the bay or was it too foggy to see much?
Second, I was on the island of Alcatraz recently for an exhibition of Ai Weiwei, a Chinese artist who uses the former prison as a site for his installations that foreground the importance of freedom. Weiwei has been critical of the Chinese government for its lack of transparency and he found himself in jail for about two months back in 2011. After that, his passport was taken away and his studio in Beijing monitored. For Weiwei, it is extremely important for artists to have the freedom to express themselves. Even though the Chinese government won't allow Weiwei to travel, he worked around this challenge by directing the exhibition long distance.
As I was taking the ferry to Alcatraz and looking at all the incredible views of the bay and San Francisco, I thought about Frida and wondered if she looked at Alcatraz while taking a ferry to the Marin side before there was a Golden Gate Bridge. In 1931, Alcatraz was not a federal prison, known for its high profile inmates, such as Al Capone; instead, it was a military prison from 1857-1933. Did Frida know this? Did she know that in 1895, 19 Hopi tribal members from Arizona were imprisoned for a year because they resisted the policy of forced education for their children? Did she marvel at the beauty of the bay or was it too foggy to see much?
 Alcatraz Island seen from the ferry window, 2015. |  Looking toward San Francisco and the Bay Bridge from Alcatraz. The Bay Bridge was built between 1933 and 1936. |
Once I was on the island, my focus turned to the fascinating history of Alcatraz and the exhibition. I won't describe all the different exhibition spaces, but one in particular that is important to mention today on Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday, filled up a huge room with over 150 faces and names of people from around the world who have been imprisoned for their beliefs. These faces were made out of LEGOS. It was quite amazing! Martin Luther King, Jr.'s face was one of the first I recognized.
 Ai Weiwei exhibit @Large on Alcatraz, 2015. |  |
This brings me to the third reason that I have placed the prison cell from Alcatraz next to Frida's portrait of an African American woman. Today, I am thinking a lot about the Ai Weiwei exhibit with its emphasis upon freedom and what that means for the United States, both in 1931 and 2015. On the King Center website, Coretta Scott King's "The Meaning of the King Holiday" states: "The Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday celebrates the life and legacy of a man who brought hope and healing to America. ...On this holiday, we commemorate the universal, unconditional love, forgiveness and nonviolence that empowered his revolutionary spirit. ...We commemorate on this holiday the man of action, who put his life on the line for freedom and justice every day, the man who braved threats and jail and beatings and who ultimately paid the highest price to make democracy a reality for all Americans." These are only a few excerpts from Coretta Scott King's beautiful essay; I recommend reading the entire piece. It's important to reflect upon her words on this day that is devoted to Dr. King's principles. I hope that Americans (and everyone in the world) truly understand and feel the power of such principles as unconditional love, forgiveness, freedom, justice, and above all, nonviolent action. I admire Dr. King for everything he stood for, but what I admire the most is that he led a movement based on the principles of nonviolence. This is still a revolutionary concept.
My dream is to see a nonviolent America in my lifetime. It would be even grander to see a nonviolent world. I wonder what Frida would say?
© Celia S. Stahr 2015
My dream is to see a nonviolent America in my lifetime. It would be even grander to see a nonviolent world. I wonder what Frida would say?
© Celia S. Stahr 2015
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