ART AFICIONADO: Frida Kahlo

Thursday, July 6, 2023

Frida Kahlo

Art Appreciation

For approximately 15 years, I have been blogging about art, yet it has taken me this long to write about one of Mexico's most renowned artists, Frida Kahlo. Perhaps I was intimidated by the weight of her history and creations, fearing that I might overlook or misinterpret something. But finally, here we go.

Magdalena Carmen Frida Kahlo y Calderón was born on July 6, 1907, in Mexico City's Coyoacán neighborhood. Her home, known as La Casa Azul, now stands as a historic house museum and art museum dedicated to the life and work of Frida Kahlo.

Art had intrigued Frida from a young age, and she received drawing lessons from printmaker Fernando Fernández. This eventually led to her becoming a paid apprentice in engraving under Fernández's guidance.

At the age of 18, Frida experienced a bus accident that confined her to bed for three months. This incident, combined with her early polio-induced disability, resulted in lifelong pain and medical challenges for the artist.

To enable her to paint while bedridden, Frida was provided with a specially-made easel that allowed her to create self-portraits by placing a mirror above it. In her early paintings, she drew inspiration from Renaissance masters like Sandro Botticelli.

In late 1927, Frida began socializing with old friends and became involved in student politics, which ultimately led to her joining the Mexican Communist Party. Through this affiliation, she found herself mingling with political activists and artists such as Tina Modotti and Diego Rivera, who would then become her husband.

Diego and Frida became a power couple of the art world, attracting constant media attention in Mexico and beyond. Their passionate and tumultuous love affair was characterized by a volatile mix of love, jealousy, and artistic collaboration.

During her time in Cuernavaca with Diego, Frida underwent a shift in her artistic style, drawing inspiration from Mexican folk art, her own Mexican identity, and a profound interest in the country's culture. When she traveled to San Francisco in 1930, she carried this new style with her and encountered American artists such as Edward Weston, Dora Maar, Carl Van Vechten, Ralph Stackpole, and others.

Following Diego to Detroit, Frida explored different techniques, including etching and frescos. It was during this period that her paintings began to exhibit a more pronounced narrative style. Her art became a cathartic outlet, allowing her to express both physical and emotional anguish.

The early 1930s marked a period of intense ups and downs in Frida's relationship with Diego upon their return to Mexico. Despite their frequent separations and infidelities, their bond remained unbreakable, with each artist influencing the other's creative endeavors. In 1937 and 1938, Frida experienced tremendous productivity in her artistic career.

In 1938, the National Autonomous University of Mexico showcased some of Frida's paintings, capturing the attention of art collector Edward G. Robinson and surrealist artist André Breton. They arranged for her first exhibition at the Julien Levy Gallery in New York City that same year. A year later, another exhibition took place in Paris, where the Louvre purchased Frida's painting "The Frame," making her the first Mexican artist to be featured in their collection.

Frida's work continued to generate interest and was displayed in prestigious exhibitions in the United States, such as the Museum of Modern Art in New York, the Philadelphia Museum of Art, and Peggy Guggenheim's gallery, The Art of This Century. She also gained recognition in her home country of Mexico.

In 1942, Frida became a founding member of the Seminario de Cultura Mexicana, a group of artists commissioned to promote public knowledge of Mexican culture. The following year, she began teaching art at the nationalistic Escuela Nacional de Pintura, Escultura y Grabado, holding her class at La Casa Azul due to her mobility issues.

Frida faced significant challenges due to her declining health, yet she continued to create extraordinary work. Her final solo exhibition took place at the Galería Arte Contemporaneo in Mexico City in 1953, captivating audiences with her vibrant colors, intricate symbols, and raw emotions that spoke of her experiences.

Her last paintings, completed before her death in 1954, included notable pieces such as "Marxism Will Give Health to the Sick," "Frida and Stalin," and "Viva La Vida."

Frida's artistic contributions have been internationally celebrated as emblematic of Mexican national and indigenous culture. Her art serves as a reminder of the transformative power of self-expression and the triumph of the human spirit over adversity. She has emerged as a powerful symbol of feminism and LGBTQ rights. Her legacy continues to ignite conversations and inspire movements advocating for gender equality and LGBTQ rights.