Frida Kahlo

by Mieke Bal, Christian Gether, Laura Gonzáles Matute

The notoriously complex life and radical, visionary work of Frida Kahlo (1907–1954) are inextricably interwoven, at times seeming to constitute a whole theatrical performance. As the daughter of a German-born photographer, Kahlo was used to posing, and from early youth she was adept at guiding the public perception of her person. In her often anguished self-portraits, she dissected her conflicts and her physical traumas, soon becoming an iconic figure and a symbol for Mexican culture. Yet ironically she transgressed many boundaries and shattered taboos in a way that was perhaps shocking to most Mexicans. In portraits by friends and photographers such as Tina Modotti and Edward Weston she wears traditional clothing and features many Mexican folk traditions, transforming her “Mexicanidad” into an indelible personal trademark. Through numerous paintings and photographs, and with articles by acclaimed theorists such as Griselda Pollock and Mieke Bal, this book traces the major events of this unique artist’s life, while relating Kahlo’s art to that of her contemporaries, such as Diego Rivera, María Izquierdo, David Alfaro Siquieros and José Clemente Orozco.

Genres: Art, Nonfiction, Biography

144 pages, Paperback

First published July 1, 2001

About the author

Mieke Bal is a Dutch literary theorist, cultural and art historian.

Areas of interest range from biblical and classical antiquity to 17th century and contemporary art and modern literature, feminism and migratory culture. Her many publications include A Mieke Bal Reader (2006), Travelling Concepts in the Humanities (2002) and Narratology (4th edition 2017). Her view of interdisciplinary analysis in the Humanities and Social Sciences is expressed in the profile of what she has termed “cultural analysis”, the basis of ASCA. See the video clip on the right side of this page, where I explain the approach.

Mieke is also a video artist, her internationally exhibited documentaries on migration include Separations, State of Suspension, Becoming Vera and the installation Nothing is Missing and are part of the Cinema Suitcase collective. With Michelle Williams Gamaker she made the feature film A Long History of Madness, a theoretical fiction about madness, and related exhibitions (2012). Her following project Madame B: Explorations in Emotional Capitalism, also with Michelle, is exhibited worldwide. She just finished a feature film and 5-screen installation on René Descartes and his infelicitously ending friendship with Queen Kristina of Sweden.

Occasionally she acts as an independent curator. Her co-curated exhibition 2MOVE travelled to four countries. She is currently preparing an exhibition for the Munch museum in Oslo.

Reviews

[Rosa Ramôa · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Algum tempo atrás, talvez uns dias, eu era uma moça caminhando por um mundo de cores, com formas claras e tangíveis. Tudo era misterioso e havia algo oculto; adivinhar-lhe a natureza era um jogo para mim. Se você soubesse como é terrível obter o conhecimento de repente - como um relâmpago iluminando a Terra! Agora, vivo num planeta dolorido, transparente como gelo. É como se houvesse aprendido tudo de uma vez, numa questão de segundos. Minhas amigas e colegas tornaram-se mulheres lentamente. Eu envelheci em instantes e agora tudo está embotado e plano. Sei que não há nada escondido; se houvesse, eu veria."

(Frida Kahlo)

[Traveller · Rating 5 out of 5]

Frida is absolutely an icon for boldness. Viva Frida Kahlo! Her art is incredibly frank, her statements painfully candid. Frida is a symbol of strength through vulnerability, for the suffering of humanity and the striving of humanity to break free from it's bonds.

[Pink · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this book very much. Just the right level of information about Kahlo's life and glorious large prints of her artwork.

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Superb on all levels. A must and fabulous read for those who already "know" Frida Kahlo, or for those who want to learn.

[Drew Plummer · Rating 5 out of 5]

The plates are beautiful, and thorough, but the outstanding essays and analyses really make this worth reading for anyone interested in Kahlo’s work. Of particular interest was the section detailing the meaning behind the recurring symbols in her painting, which really opened a new door into her already captivating pieces.

[Felicia · Rating 5 out of 5]

I couldn't give this less than 5 stars because it's Frida Kahlo and I love Frida Kahlo.

[Chispy_06 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Es la primera bibliografía que he leído entera y me ha parecido apasionante conocer la vida de una de las mujeres más revolucionarias de la historia, y una figura tan importante para el feminismo actual.

No tuvo una vida nada fácil, desde el accidente de autobús comprueba lo mal que lo pasó en la recuperación y como la pintura nacio en ella como un reclamo de expresar toda su brillante inteligencia y como superación de las limitaciones que tenía mientras se recuperaba postrada en una cama. Es increíble acompañarla en sus reflexiones y en su historia y te acerca mucho más a lo que fue y a lo que consiguió con esfuerzo y valentía.

Una mujer ejemplo a pesar de la época que le tocó vivir, tenía claro que no iba a estar supeditada a ningún hombre. Estoy realmente emocionada de haber elegido su biografía por que me ha dado una visión más cercana de como fue su vida y de cómo es posible que afloren los sentimientos a través de la pintura. Y que si crees en ti misma, nada ni nadie puede frenar tus ganas de crear.
Creo que deberíamos leer más bibliografías de vez en cuándo para adentrarnos más en los personajes históricos que nos representan a diario o que seguimos desde hace tiempo y admiramos profundamente, por que me ha servido para admirar la mucho más la verdad, además esta escrito en primera persona y hace que sea sencillo contextualizar cada momento de su vida.

[Ana Subtirelu · Rating 3 out of 5]

good

[Michael Casey · Rating 1 out of 5]

i found it boring

[Beth Wittmann · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wanted to know more about iconic women after reading one of Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s biographies and this one was an easy pick. We all know she painted self portraits but I didn’t know that she had been afflicted with illness for most of her life. She had polio as a child and then was in a car accident at 18 that left her with lifelong pain and medical problems. During her recovery she started painting and abandoned the idea of medical school. I also never put together that the way she dressed was not how everyone else around her was dressing. Her main inspiration was Mexican folk culture and she dressed in traditional indigenous Mexican peasant clothing to emphasize her mestiza ancestry, express her feminist and anti-colonial views, and hide her limp. For a long time she was only known as the wife of famous painter Diego Rivera (who was 42 when she met him at 21, and he was also a self proclaimed womanizer) yet she continued to paint until she gained the recognition she deserved. If you have even a slight interest in Frida you should read more about her amazing and tumultuous life. This book was a little dry and I think the title is just Frida Kahlo (?) but I’m glad I picked it up.

[Selin Zorlu · Rating 5 out of 5]

frida sen nasıl bir kadınsın ki söylediğin her cümle beni benden aldı..

[Nicole · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating story and compelling art works by Frida Kahlo. Enjoyed this one. Pity I missed the exhibition as we were away in UK and Europe.

[Erika Trejo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Me encanta Frida! no podría darle menos de 5 estrellas.

[Janine]

“You deserve a lover who wants you disheveled, with everything and all the reasons that wake you up in a haste and the demons that won’t let you sleep." - Frida Kahlo

This line was all I needed to read to know that I would adore this woman's writing.