Frida Kahlo: a life in art - Softcover

A major proponent of the Mexican Renaissance, wife of Diego Rivera, communist, and pioneer of emancipation―the colorful life and work of Frida Kahlo (1907–1954) are inextricably interwoven, and at times staged like a play. The daughter of a German-born photographer, she was used to posing, and Kahlo began controlling the perception of her person early on. In her paintings and pain-filled self-portraits she dissected her innermost being, treading a new artistic path in the process. In portraits by friends and photographers such as Tina Modotti and Edward Weston she wears traditional clothing, turning her “Mexicanidad” into a trademark. Based on numerous paintings and photographs and with articles by acclaimed theorists such as Griselda Pollock and Mieke Bal, this book traces the stations 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. (German edition ISBN 978-3-7757-3606-0) Exhibition schedule: ARKEN – Museum for Modern Art, Ishøj, September 7, 2013–January 12, 2014

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, Maria Izquierdo, David Alfaro Siquieros and Jose Clemente Orozco.