Frida Kahlo
Andre Breton, the philosopher central to the Surrealist movement in Paris, traveled to Mexico in 1938 to address a surrealism conference at the University of Mexico. After getting lost in Mexico City he said, "I don't know why I came here. Mexico is the most surrealist country in the world". In Mexico, Breton spent time with a group of artists and intellectuals including Diego Rivera and Frida Kahlo. The self-reflective surrealist style of Mexican painter Frida Kahlo found a kinship with the European artists who, influenced by Freud, were exploring their subconscious through dreams. Frida Kahlo was influenced by the art of both Paris and New York at that time but she remained deeply rooted in the mystical folk arts of Mexico.
My Nurse and I - Frida Kahlo, Oil on metal, 1937
The folk arts of Mexico seem to acknowledge the bond and return the affection. Today, when the Day of the Dead draws near, Frida Kahlo is embraced. People wear Frida Kahlo charms and you will see Frida Kahlo - Day of the Dead figurines among the the sugar skulls, marigolds, dripping candles and dancing skeletons where ever Mexican people honor their remembered loved ones.
Day of the Dead Frida Kahlo - Tex Mex Curios
Frida lived in pain, both from her injuries from the bus accident in which her body was pierced by metal, and in her relationship with Diego, who pierced her with his infidelities. She was a sufferer. Her art shows it.
ReplyDelete