Frida

Since we didn't have time to discuss the reading for "Frida," this post should address the two articles. What points do you find especially pertinent? Do you agree with their assessments of "Fridamania"? Why do you think Frida Kahlo suddenly became so popular--popular enough to generate a whole "Frida industry" and a major motion picture?


In the article titled "The Trouble with Frida Kahlo" I found a couple points interesting. The quote that Mencimer uses that I like was "Kahlo's art is to painting what the memoir is to literature-self-absorbed, confessional, and hard to dismiss as a flash in the pan." This is exactly how I personally feel about Kahlo's work. To me, it seems like the majority of her works are supposed to be representations of her or events in her life. Rarely do we see images of other people. This is also evident in the movie how we see Frida painting a lot of self portraits, particularly when she was bed-ridden. Another point from the Mencimer article that I found pertinent was how she said that "Until the 1970's though, there were almost no 'great' women artists." Up until the 1970's we never saw women artists (minus of course, people like Artemisia Gentileschi)...just women portrayed in the art work (such as the Mona Lisa and Olympia). Now we have the emergence of a woman artist who not only sells paintings for decent amounts of money, but also has art shows in her honor. The last point from Mencimer's article I found striking was when she discussed that Kahlo embodies "victimhood." This subject is also touched upon in the movie. Kahlo is a victim of several accidents in her life (the bus accident, Diego Rivera); yet people wanted to relate to her because it added to her story that not only was she a WOMAN but she also overcame extreme circumstances.

In "The Return of the Kahlo Cult" the quote that was the most pertinent to me was how Julie Taymor, the movie's director, said that Kahlo "made herself into an icon. She took her imperfections and made them the ultimate." Taymor is right. Kahlo made her own fame and didn't rely on being Diego Rivera's wife to become successful. She saw herself as an artist who happened to be his wife.

In regards to "Fridamania", I think it is a bit excessive. I understand the support for Frida but I don't see why she became so popular, so suddenly. Mencimer talks about how Cosmopolitan put her biography under a list of how to "celebrate National Women's Month." I believe she became popular in a few different ways. First, people such as Madonna and other art collectors are purchasing her paintings for $10 million, when they barley sold for $1 million in the 1990's. With higher prices per painting, attention could be drawn to her. I feel like Kahlo is an artist that people can easily relate to, especially women. She was unable to get pregnant, her husband cheated on her, she drank and smoke and didn't want to be perceived as someone who was not sexual or open to life. The "Frida" movie (in my opinion) has only spurred more interest in her as an artist and as a person. Will Fridamania continue? Probably. Until another dominate female artist like Frida Kahlo arrives into the artistic world, "Fridamania" will continue on in full force.