HUMN 303 WEEK 8 DISCUSSION

HUMN 303 WEEK 8 DISCUSSION Option 1: Choose a work to discuss from one genre that interprets a work from another genre. • Include the title, artist, and description of both works. • Examine how the artist of the second work captured the subject or story of the first. • Support your point(s) with a statement from the second artist that discusses the influence, reasoning, or interpretation of the original work on the second work. What the Water Gave Me, 1938 by Frida Kahlo Also known as “What I Saw in the Water”, the painting shows reflections in the water that are Frida’s images of life and death, happiness and sadness, comfort and pain, as well as her past and present. She once described the painting to her friend as, “An image of passing time, about time and childhood games in the bathtub and the sadness of what had happened to her in the course of life” (F, 2019). What The Water Gave Me by Florence and The Machine 2011 The lead singer and song writer Florence Welch told NME Magazine that the song is titled after Frida Khalo’s painting and was named after her painting inspiring her while writing the lyrics. She stated, “At lot of the time when I’m writing, things will just appear. I was writing the song and this book on symbolism was lying around, and it had the painting in it. It’s nice to mix the ordinary with extraordinary” (NME, 2011). In the song, Florence sings about water becoming a deity that must be appeased. She stated in an interview that, "It's a song for the water, because in music and art what I'm really interested in are the things that are overwhelming. The ocean seems to me to be nature's great overwhelmer. When I was writing this song, I was thinking a lot about all those people who've lost their lives in vain attempts to save their loved ones from drowning. It's about water in all forms and all bodies " (Corner, 2011). The song relates to Frida’s painting as in the painting it shows a disturbing scene of people drowning but also shows her terrible experiences in life surrounding the drowning. In the song, Florence references children being swept away out to sea and being completely overwhelmed by something that is bigger than everything. Florence also referenced the death of the British novelist Virginia Wolf who had drowned herself by walking into a river with pockets full of stones. Lay me down Let the only sound Be the overflow Pockets full of stones I see the connection between both the painting and the song as describing hardships that have occurred leading to the disturbing thought of death by water which is also referenced to as a safe and comforting place. The burden of life is one that can be calmed by the sounds of water and relaxation of floating but can easily be taken away by the same source. It is an interesting image and song combination that depicts a full array of emotions upon the viewers and listeners. References Corner, L. (2011). Florence and the Machine debut new track ‘What The Water Gave Me’. Retrieved from F. (2019). What I Saw in the Water, 1938 by Frida Kahlo. Retrieved from NME. (2011). Hear Florence and The Machine’s new song ‘What The Water Gave Me’- audio. Retrieved from