Philadelphia Museum of Art Hosts Frida Kahlo exhibit

Philadelphia Museum of Art Hosts Frida Kahlo exhibit

By Judi Panasik
The Weekly Recorder
April 11, 2008

What could I possibly have in common with a Mexican woman born at the beginning of the 20th century? After watching the movie “Frida” and touring the Frida Kahlo exhibit at the Philadelphia Museum of Art I realized it was more than being 5’2 and if not for wax, the possibility of a uni-brow.

As always the Philadelphia Museum of Art puts on a show that is educational and moving. The only East Coast venue for the first Frida Kahlo Exhibit in 15 years, the exhibition runs through May 18, and offers an audio tour that takes you from her first works to her last. By the end of a tour, which takes about an hour and a half, you will leave with not only knowing who Frida is but how she developed as an artist and how she came to be a feminist icon decades after her death.

But who is Frida Kahlo? Born in Mexico to mother of Mexican Indian and Spanish decent and a German father, Frida struggled to identify with her heritage her whole life. Her paintings reflect the influence and love she had for Mexican art and tradition.

As a young girl Frida suffered from polio and spent a lot of time in bed. As a young adult while attending school she was in an accident that left her bedridden for 2-years. Because of her strong will and determination Frida regained the ability to walk again. It was during this time that her father brought her painting supplies and placed a mirror over her bed.

Because she was her first subject matter, Frida’s first work is of herself. Most of her work, because of related problems she suffered for the rest of her life, was self-portraits that tell the story of her life. Although the gaze may be the same it’s the elements around her, or how she portrays herself in the pictures that changes.

Like most lives her paintings start out plain with little going on. As she experiences life the images become more complicated and detailed.

Frida did not paint for others she painted for herself. And although she received acclaim for her work in North America and Europe during her life, it was after her death that she became a feminist icon to others.

Although tied to a bed for a good portion of her life Frida was independent in her thinking. She married Diego Rivera, also a famous Mexican artist, and had an open marriage. Frida had adopted communism along with Diego, and was involved in politics. She lived her life doing what she wanted while suffering from painful physical ailments that lead to her inability to have children. A theme that she expressed through many of her paintings.

There are very few artists that make an impact during their lifetime and long after they have left us. To experience the show at the Philadelphia Museum of art is once in a lifetime event.

To get a better understanding of the artist before the event I suggest renting the movie “Frida” starring Salma Hayek, and watching some of the bonus features.

Frida Kahlo has been described as a ribbon tied around a bomb. Her paintings have been described as both soft and dramatic at the same time. As a woman who suffered for a majority of her life she embraced it and found it’s beauty.

Tickets to the show are $20 for adults, $17 for seniors, students and youth 13-18, and $10 for children 5-12. For more information on the show can call 215-235-7469 or visit their website at www.philamuseum.org.

In relation to the works of Frida Kahlo, across the museum the first United States Exhibition to highlight the early works of another Mexican artist Juan Soriano is also on display. On view until May 11, the exhibit offers 16 works of the artist. Soriano was a friend of Frida’s and ran in the same artistic circles.

Although his works are similar with Mexican icons they focus more on those around him than himself. Like Frida his paintings start out much simpler and develop into his more complex view of life.

The Art of Lee Miller is also on display on the ground floor of the museum. Miller was a model turned photojournalist. Like Frida, Miller saw life in her own way and captured it on film. She experimented with not only her subjects but with the photographic process.

As a writer for Vogue in Europe, Millers stories and pictures depicting the WWII did not fall in line with the magazines theme but were published because they were accurate and gripping. The museum has several of her articles on display with the exhibit.

Although Miller is not a well known name in today’s world, she was friends with Picasso, Dali, along with other famous artists of her time. The exhibit ranges from staged pictures where she experimented with light and subject matter, to shoots where she took an object and shot it from an unusual view, to documenting life during the perils of war.

Millers exhibit is a retrospect on a woman who was daring not only in her art but in her life. The Art of Lee Miller runs through April 27.