Frida

Author: (USA) Herrera
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2003-01-01
Features: Frida Kahlo was born on July 6, 1907, and died on July 13, 1954, at the age of 47. At the age of 5, she contracted polio, which left her unable to move freely. At the age of 18, she suffered a traffic accident when a pole pierced her stomach and extended to her pelvis, leading to her lifelong infertility. From then on, she could no longer escape the torment of post-traumatic symptoms. However, during the long recovery period, she developed an interest in painting and gradually revealed remarkable talent. She later described the accident in a typical black-humored way: "It took away my innocence." Over the following decades, she underwent 32 major surgeries and three miscarriages, and ultimately became paralyzed. At her last exhibition in Mexico, Frida said, "I’m not sick, I’m just completely broken, but as long as I can paint, I’ll be happy." This was also the only solo exhibition she held in her homeland during her lifetime. A critic wrote, "It is simply impossible to separate the works of an outstanding woman from her life. Her paintings are her autobiography." This statement sufficiently explains why her works differ so greatly from those of her contemporaries, and also why she became an idol for many later feminists. All her pain and memories were deeply etched in Frida’s heart like the rings of a tree. For a woman who spent half her life in bed, her love, hatred, solitude, and stubbornness were pushed to their extremes anded through her paintings. Due to her confined living environment, she could only repeatedly paint numerous self-portraits and portraits of her loved ones, with self-portraits alone accounting for nearly one-third of her entire body of work. While Frida’s brilliance was overshadowed by her husband and mentor, Diego Rivera, her paintings only gained recognition outside Mexico in the 1980s. Recently, due to her outstanding achievements in painting, Frida became the first Latin American woman to be featured on a U.S. stamp. The public often pays attention to her same-sex relationships with women such as painter Georgia O’Keeffe and actress Dolores del Río, but her art remains largely unknown. After her death, Frida was recognized as one of the most significant women painters in art history, and her influence has surpassed that of Diego Rivera, one of Mexico’s "Big Three" muralists. As an artistic couple, Frida and Diego Rivera were prominent figures during Mexico’s revolutionary period and profoundly influenced the revival of Mexican art. Her art style was completely different from her husband’s, drawing inspiration primarily from Mexican folk art and small-scale altar paintings. Frida embarked on a series of artistic forms never seen before in history, solemnly portraying the true, real, cruel, and suffering qualities of women. For a full year, she lay bedridden and unable to move. During this time, she wore a back-support corset made of leather, plaster, and steel. When life seemed darkest, she found solace in her art. She wrote, "My paintings are an honest expression of myself." Her works are mostly self-portraits, and she said, "I paint self-portraits because I’m often alone and because I know myself best." Painting transformed her disasters into drama, becoming her typical self-image—a screaming cry for attention. In real life, however, she always strived to create a relaxed and joyful atmosphere for her friends. She often depicted herself as two people: one enduring pain and the other being the Frida people knew. In the 1940s, Frida Kahlo created some of her best works. At this time, her paintings became increasingly clumsy and disordered due to the combined effects of pain, anesthesia, and alcohol. In July 1954, she made her last public appearance at a protest march and died shortly after in her sleep, apparently suffocated. Many of her close friends suspected she took her own life. In her final diary entry, she wrote, "I hope death is pleasant, and I hope it never comes again." Frida Kahlo, a beautiful Mexican woman, created art—self-portraits written in paint. At the age of 18, she was involved in a traffic accident, and a metal pole pierced her body. For the next 29 years, illness and passion nearly tormented her. Many saw her as a woman who endured suffering and challenged death. She painted herself bleeding, crying, and broken, transplanting her pain into art,ing it with great sincerity and honesty, and blending humor and fantasy. Most of her paintings were small in size—12×15 inches was common. Surrealist painters classified Frida as one of them in the 1930s. In April 1953, Frida Kahlo held a major exhibition in Mexico, less than a year before the end of her life. At the time, her health was poor, and no one expected the painter to attend. However, at 8 p.m., when the doors of the Contemporary Art Museum in Mexico City opened to the public, an ambulance arrived. Frida, dressed in her favorite Mexican attire, was carried on a stretcher to a four-poster bed placed inside the museum and arranged as she wished. Over 200 friends and admirers greeted her one by one, then gathered around the bed and sang Mexican folk songs until late at night. The film adapted from this book was selected as the opening film at the 59th Venice Film Festival. Frida Kahlo, the most legendary woman painter in Mexican history, was born in 1907 and faced a turbulent life. At the age of 5, she contracted polio, leaving her unable to move, and at 18, she suffered a traffic accident when a pole pierced her stomach and extended to her pelvis. Over the following decades, she underwent 32 major surgeries and three miscarriages and ultimately became paralyzed, preventing her from fulfilling her greatest desire as a woman—to have a child. At her last exhibition in Mexico, Frida told reporters, "I’m not sick, I’m just completely broken, but as long as I can paint, I’ll be happy." With her bizarre and mysterious style, she established her place in Western modern art, and her romantic entanglements with prominent figures like Trotsky made her a controversial yet legendary woman. The 1925 accident marked a turning point in Frida’s life and art, and her 25-year love affair with Diego Rivera, the famous Mexican painter who would become her husband, deeply influenced her works. Frida considered painting an integral part of her life, not a means to fame. She once said, "As long as I can mend my broken body, I can paint." All her works bear a strong personal touch, reflecting her unrestrained life and inner world. All her pain and memories were deeply etched in Frida’s heart. For a woman who spent half her life in bed, her love, hatred, solitude, and stubbornness were pushed to their extremes anded through her paintings. Due to her confined living environment, Frida could only repeatedly paint numerous self-portraits and portraits of her loved ones, with self-portraits alone accounting for nearly one-third of her entire body of work. Recently, at a Sotheby’s Latin American painting auction, a portrait of her sister Cristina by Frida sold for $1.65 million, setting a record at the time. While Frida’s brilliance was overshadowed by her husband, Diego Rivera, the public often focused on her same-sex relationships with figures like Trotsky, O’Keeffe, and Dolores del Río, yet after her death, Frida became one of the most indispensable women painters in art history, and her influence surpassed that of Diego Rivera, one of Mexico’s "Big Three" muralists. Frida Kahlo’s artistic life was unstoppable, her paintings filled with love and pain, and to this day, you can still feel the ragged breath of a woman crying through her canvases. Frida once said, "I only paint my reality. The only thing I’m sure of is that I paint because I want to, and I paint anything that flashes through my mind without hesitation." So when you see a woman crying, her hair disheveled, with Diego Rivera’s portrait on her forehead, don’t hesitate—it is the real Frida. It is for this reason that Frida always refused to be called a "surrealist" painter. Everything she painted was her real world, and in this sense, there is no better medium to express Frida’s thoughts than her paintings. In recent years, numerous biographies of Frida have been published, including "Frida," of which this book is one. The author writes in the book, "The things that flashed through Frida’s mind and became art are some of the most authentic and captivating images of the 20th century. She painted herself bleeding, crying, and broken, transplanting her pain into art. Her paintings are always so special, so personal, deeply visual rather than superficial. Frida’s self-autobiography in paint has an artistic tension and strength that captures the audience’s hearts." A well-known painting by Frida is "The Two Kahlos." Two women shake hands and sit, one a heartbroken Frida, covered in blood; the other a serene Frida. Another strength of this book is the extensive selection of Frida’s paintings and personal photographs alongside the text, providing readers with a more intuitive and sensory experience as they read about the subject’s life.