Dalena Nguyen - Post #2 (Visual Art)

1. Picture by Associated Press photographer, Nick Ut, of the "napalm girl" - Phan Thi Kim Phuc, during the South Vietnamese napalm attack in Trang Bang. 1972.

2. BL-094 by Korean American artist, Il Lee. 2008.

3. The Two Fridas by the infamous Mexican painter, Frida Kahlo. 1939.















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#1. Both of my parents are immigrants from Vietnan, who escaped after the North Vietnam Communists took total control of Vietnam. I've always held a strong interest in the Vietnam War, as it is history for me but a recent memory for my parents and many other relatives. Like anything Vietnam War related (such as that Hey Arnold! episode and the film Journey from the Fall), I cried when I first saw this photo.

#2. I first discovered the artist Il Lee when I saw an exhibit of his at the San Jose Museum of Art when I was 14. My initial thoughts were, "damn this guy has a lot of time on his hands" and "that is a shit ton of Bic ballpoint pens." (I just assume he uses Bic because its a pretty trustworthy brand and cheap as hell.) I'm amazed by how clean his lines are, and the painstaking effort and immense work he puts into each piece.

#3. I remember seeing this photo in my 10th grade Spanish class. It seriously freaked me the f*ck out. Like, it lived in my mind for the rest of the week. My homegirl Frida had a lotta problems, but she's also as talented as hell. This painting still freaks me out, yet in a good way (oddly). I love that Kahlo took the literal meaning of a bleeding, broken heart and mirrored it in this piece. Leona Lewis should take note.