Frida Kahlo - The brutal realist

'Self Portrait in a Velvet Dress'
1926

So, for this blog, I'm just going to be choosing women somewhat at random to write a little bit about. Some will real women, some will be characters from stories and myth, some will be famous, and others will not. Usually she will just be someone I feel particularly connected with at the time, for whatever reason. Today, with my creative flow in full swing, the woman that comes to mind is my artistic idol, Frida Kahlo.

To be honest, I'm finding it a slightly intimidating task to tell a story about Frida in a single blog post. There were so many amazing aspects to Frida's life and art that I don't know where to start. Rather than try to put her life story in order, I think I will simply focus on some inspiring points.

Art

Frida was a talented painter. She learned to paint self-portraits when she was young, being bedridden for the better part of two years following a bus accident. She had a mirror in the canopy of her bed and an easel she could place on her lap. From there she painted the portrait to the right.The horrific injuries she sustained in the accident meant that she was in physical pain for a lot of her adult life, and she was unable to bear children. Her paintings became a means for her to express her pain. She was called a surrealist by some, but she rejected the label, saying that her paintings were of her reality, not her dreams. Her paintings illustrate heatbreak and physical exhaustion and agony in a brutally honest way. When asked why she painted so many self portraits, Frida replied 'I paint myself because I am so often alone, and because I am the subject I know best.'

Diego Rivera

At the age of 22, Frida married fellow painter, Diego Rivera. He was over twenty years her senior. They seemed an odd couple, and they had a turbulent relationship. Both had extra-marital affairs, and Frida took both male and female lovers. Seeing other people seemed to be an acceptable situation for them both, until Diego was caught having an affair with Frida's sister, Cristina. They divorced in 1939, but remarried a year later. Frida's art was heavily influenced by Diego, whose work she had always admired. Diego was also often the subject of her work, whether it be her love for him or the pain he had caused her. She once said 'There have been two great accidents in my life. One was the trolley (bus), the other was Diego. Diego was by far the worst.'

Fashion and style

I remember my art teacher telling me that Frida's style was so colourful and unique that she literally stopped traffic while she was living in New York. Whilst I don't know if that was actually true, the idea is indicative of Frida's very individual sense of style. She grew up surrounded by females, having five sisters and no brothers. Perhaps as a way to balance out her household, as an adolescent Frida would often be seen dressed as a boy. Androgyny was part of her style for most of her life. Though she dressed in very feminine jewellery and traditional Mexican dress, she made no attempt to hide her 'unibrow' or dark moustache. Following her divorce from Diego, she cut off her hair and started again to dress in men's clothes. Perhaps this was her way of warding off men who might hurt her again.

Communism

To the right, Frida is pictured wearing one of the casts that she often had to wear to support her back, probably following a correctional operation. She often painted her casts, and several of them display the hammer and sickle, a communist symbol. She and Diego were well known communists. Though she was born 1907, Frida liked to say she was born in 1910, along with the Mexican revolution, and shortly before the creation of the Socialist Worker's Party. In 1937, Frida and Diego took Leon Trotsky and his wife into their home. Trotsky was a political refugee, having been exiled by Josef Stalin. Frida is said to have had an affair with Trotsky in the years that he stayed with she and Diego. After Trotsky was assassinated, Frida and Diego openly supported Stalin.


During her life, Frida must have been a force to be reckoned with. She was a strong woman, but she was not afraid to show her weaker side. She can be related to and admired in so many aspects of her life. Fashion, expression, sexuality, individuality and strength in adversity to name a few. Her raw representations of her own life experiences can be heartbreaking, and her attitude inspiring. She was in pain for most of her life, but she still managed to live it to a fuller extent than many more able bodied people manage. Her face is one of the most recognisable faces in our society, and she is often represented in pop art.

I now know why Frida was first on my list. She is my favourite female idol. She's the kind of woman we all wish we were.