Notes

Marina Abramovic pays homage to Frida Kahlo through this self-portrait with a scorpion. In 1938 Frida painted Self-portrait with Monkey, in Mexican mythology the monkey is a symbol of lust. Frida paints the monkey in a caring manner as it sits to the side of her with an arm around her in a protective yet gentle demeanour. In contrast, Abramovic’s portrait she is face to face with a scorpion which is a dangerous creature fitting in with the artist’s explorations of placing herself in extreme situations through her art performances. Another edition of this work featured in the exhibition Feminine Feminist, Nohra Haime Gallery, Manhattan, New York, March – April 2016.

Provenance

Estate Late Linda Givon

Literature

Marina Abramovic (2016) Walk Through Walls: A Memoir, London: Penguin Random House, another example illustrated on the front cover.