Frida Kahlo, Revolutionary Artist !

[Mario]

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Although, Frida Kahlo was very involved in the politics of the world in her time, her real political achievement was in the area of art. She took a very "at arms length" tradition and made it "up close and personal". Just take a journey through her paintings and you will learn something very important about what it means to be an artist alive in the world! Any of your comments about your experience with Frida Kahlo would be greatly appreciated.


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"Paint light and dark masses, not edges. Later,You can always draw edges around objects, if you want...
Paint abstract shapes of color...
When painting onto a flat surface, think flat shapes of color. Don't try to paint around an object. We're not sculpting...think; flat, flat,flat." - Christine LaFuente...(this coaching was given in a workshop on 'still life' and would also apply to 'portrait' and 'figure' studies)

[This message has been edited by Mario (edited June 11, 2001).]

[Cindy]

Frida Kahlo was the first female artist I read about when I became interested in art. It was hard for me to look at her work. At first I could only see how bizarre it appeared. After reading about her life, I began to see her and her pain/struggle in her work. I was really moved by it. The whole process had a big influence in changing my beginning ideas about what art was about.

Jeanette had a couple of pieces dedicated to Frida Kahlo. Here's one, check it out - way cool!
http://www.wetcanvas.com/ubb/Forum21/HTML/003429.html

[jnet11]

wow- cindy thanks! the link didn't work, so here is one of the paintings I did of Frida. The text at the bottom is from her diary "Feet, what do I need them for, if I have wings to fly?"

I fell in love with Frida when I found a book of hers at the library. I knelt before that level of honesty and dedication and knew I must paint her as my 'watcher' and critic. This image is always watching me when I paint.

The more I've learned of her life and turmoils, the more I've grown to admire her work and her place in art history.

BTW, the photo I painted this from is in "The Camera Seduced"

[jnet11]

one more, and this is a TERRIBLE photo, all glared out and there's tons of details you can't make out .... but, it's called "That Which We Leave Behind."

j*

[Rose Queen]

I think it's especially remarkable that she painted in the shadow of her husband, Diego Rivera, whose works are certainly technically accomplished but have nowhere near the soul of hers. If you ever go to Mexico City, you must visit her house, which is now a museum. It's brick red outside with bright blue window sills, and vibrant yellow inside. There are a lot of interesting paintings by people who were Kahlo's and Rivera's friends, including Dali, and one drawing in particular that is a really nice portrait of Kahlo. On her bed is one of the plaster casts that she had to wear occasionally because of the injuries she'd sustained in the trolley accident as a young woman and it's all painted in brilliant designs. She really was amazing!

[scottb]

Just found this on Amazon:

Portrait of an Artist: Frida Kahlo (VHS documentary)

Cheers.
Scott

[dodger]

I just spent over 5 hours in an incredible exhibition entitled "Carr, O'Keeffe, Kahlo:
Places of their Own"

http://www.mcmichael.on.ca/exhibit-efg.htm

While I find myself far more connected to Carr & O'Keeffe, I couldn't help but be fascinated by the powerful raw emotion of Kahlo. She was a dramatic woman...passionate, obsessed and highly expressive.

In comparing the 3 artists, there's no doubt that Kahlo suffered the most. Her stormy relationship with Rivera was the cause of a lot of her pain, but it was the accident and the causal effects on her health that prevented her from having children...I think this was her greatest angst.

Carr never married, & O'Keeffe had a nurturing relationship with Steglitz...they seemed to focus more on the emotional aspects of nature, while Kahlo infused herself within it.

Really interesting exhibition...it'll be travelling to DC, Sante Fe & Vancouver.

[colorme]

I paid 5 dollars for this..it was an envelope with her stamp and a picture of her. I had to have it, Frida Kahlo is my favorite artist