Research Paper

An Inspiration That Never Dies

The life of Frida Kahlo is one that is far from the ordinary. Her life has been defined as one of trial and tribulation, filled with pain, both emotional and physical. From her tumultuous relationship with Diego Rivera, to the artwork that she produced, Frida never shied away from controversy, but rather embraced her own thoughts and ideas that made up her identity both as a person, and an artist. Frida’s art was often viewed as questionable and sometimes even dark for many people, which distinguished her from other artists of the time. Although in her lifetime, Kahlo would mostly be known as the husband of Diego Rivera, Frida’s legacy after her death would propel her to becoming an iconic figure in social movements, especially for women. Throughout her life, Frida Kahlo paved the way for not only the future of female artists, but also future feminist movements by challenging the traditional abilities and daily roles of women and artists in society.

Just after the birth of Frida Kahlo in 1907, Mexico began to undergo immense changes as people revolted against the Porfirio Díaz regime. The Mexican Revolution brought radical changes to both the political and societal hierarchies, as people who fought in the Revolution wanted to eradicate any remnants of the past governments. Over the span of the next ten years, power would shift between three different leaders, as Mexico continued to wage civil war over which president would lead the country. The civil war left Mexico with an identity crisis, and as a result, many different rebel and political factions arose, including the Communist Party of Mexico, which Frida would join later in her life. To further engulf herself in the creation of her identity, Kahlo “claimed that she was born in 1910 so people would directly associate her with the revolution” (Frida Kahlo Foundation). While the revolution would last only a decade, social and political movements throughout Mexico would continue to call for change long after the signing of the Mexican Constitution. Until Kahlo’s death in 1954, she would be a strong advocate for several of these movements, not only in Mexico, but worldwide as well.

Figure 1. Frida Kahlo (center) loved to wear men’s clothing. Even for family picture, rather than traditional female dresses she wore men’s suits.

Living in Coyoacán, just outside of Mexico City, Frida was quick to separate herself and develop her own identity that was much different than girls of the same age. After contracting polio at the age of six, Frida was left with deformed right leg, which caused her to be taunted by many of her classmates at school. All of the taunting by her peers would help shape her to become a defiant and rebellious teenager as she enrolled in the Escuela Nacional Preparatoria, one of Mexico’s best preparatory schools. Although there were only a few girls at the ‘prepa’, Frida refused to follow in the other girls’ footsteps by flaunting her girlish charm to the other men. Instead, Frida would pull her hair back, wearing a skirt with a tie, rather than dressing to impress the crowds. For instance, it was very common for Kahlo to be pictured wearing men’s clothing, such as a suit and tie instead of the tradition female garb (Fig. 1). Even the way Frida spoke, and her use of foul language, showed how different she was from the rest of the girls her age. Isabel Alcántara and Sandra Egnolff, co-authors of the biography Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera, describe the young Frida Kahlo, saying, “She invented her own personal slang, ‘fridesco’, and often shocked people by using vulgar and coarse language” (Alcántara and Egnolff 14). Frida was never one to try to fit in, but rather she began to defy the norms of society at a very young age. This rebellious and defiant persona for which Frida used to separate herself from societal norms, would become even more evident as she began to produce artwork that would be considered shocking for the time period.

Figure 2. Frida Kahlo, My Birth. 1932. Oil on metal. 30.5 x 35 cm. Private collection, USA Private collection

In all aspects of her life, Frida was not afraid to stand out and differentiate herself from others around her. Her artwork was no exception to this quality, as they were often deemed as graphic and untraditional during that time. While much of the Mexican art that was produced during the early decades of the 1900’s incorporated either political or nationalistic themes, most of Frida’s art portrayed real life tragedies, as well as the pain that she had suffered or was feeling at the time. For example, Frida’s painting My Birth (fig. 2) depicts a woman lying on a bed with a sheet laid over her head, as she gives birth to a baby Frida. Below the baby, whose head is protruding from between the woman’s legs with her eyes closed, there is a pool of blood staining the sheets of bed. Just above the bed’s headboard, a picture of the “Virgin of Sorrow” hangs, sadly watching over the gory scene and unable to help the woman. This picture, while meant to represent the stark contrast between life and death, was “a startling image for Western audiences since childbirth has not been addressed, if at all, so frankly in Christian iconography” (Motian-Meadows). For many viewers during that time, the image of a woman, whose face is covered, giving birth to a baby with a puddle of blood on the sheets was shocking and ghastly. Deborah Solomon, an American art critic, who has written for the New York Times and speaks about various artistic topics on NPR, agrees, stating that Kahlo was “shocking viewers with graphic depictions of [her] pain, which, in turn, has ‘exempted her from the standards of art and promoted [her] into a heroine of modern life’” (Lindauer 169). Although Kahlo certainly pushed the boundaries of what was socially acceptable when it came to her artwork, what made her art stand out more than others, was her ability to make her pieces relate to the struggles and sufferings faced by much of her audience.

Figure 3. Kahlo painted her plaster-molded cast while confined to her bed after the horrific bus accident in 1925.

Kahlo’s life would not only be filled with acts of defiance against societal norms, but would also be subject to pain and suffering. Physically, Kahlo’s body had been structurally impaired, due to a streetcar accident that occurred in 1925 when Frida was eighteen years old. She would suffer numerous breaks and fractures to almost her whole body, as well as be pierced by a metal rod which entered through her left hip and stuck out through the vagina (Alcántara and Egnolff 17). This accident would be the cause of many physical complications, including multiple miscarriages, and require over 30 surgeries during the span of her life. Kahlo’s recovery in the months following the accident would be the platform for which she began her artistic career, as she would teach herself to paint during the time she was immobilized (fig. 3). Kahlo would continue to improve her artistic abilities as she rehabilitated her broken body, producing several easel paintings during that time. Her physical problems though follow Frida throughout her whole life, serving as a central theme in nearly all her artwork.

Figure 4. Frida Kahlo, The Broken Column. 1944. Oil on canvas, mounted on wood. 40 x 30.7cm. Dolores Olmedo Patiño Museum, Mexico City

For Frida, painting would be a means of portraying her pain and suffering conceived by her physical impairments from the bus accident. Her paintings would become a second reality as she created a “creature invented to help her withstand life’s blows” (Lindauer 4). As she began to rise and gain more notoriety in the art world, Frida’s audience, especially women and underrepresented groups of people, began to relate to the trials and tribulations faced by Kahlo throughout her lifetime. Her paintings, such as The Broken Column (fig. 4), have served as an inspiration for viewers who are struggling in certain parts of their lives. In the self-portrait, Kahlo paints herself half nude with her exposed upper body, which has been split down the middle. She is shown with support belts, which prevents her body from further separation and is reminiscent of the cast she wore during her recovery from the accident. A shattered column supports her upright posture in place of a normal backbone, suggesting the “bend but don’t break” attitude that someone, like her, needed to have to succeed in an industry dominated by men. Kahlo also includes numerous nails that pierce several parts of her body, and although there seem to be tears that are running down her cheeks to show that she is in pain, she still maintains a straight face to signify that she is determined and unrelenting. Throughout all of her paintings, Frida understood that the portrayal of her pain went far beyond what she felt, commenting, “they have a message of pain in them, but I think they’ll interest a few people. They’re not revolutionary, so why do I keep on believing they’re combative?” (Frida). Even though she was only painting what she felt at the time, Frida still understood that her art had significant influence and power over her audience. Although works of art like The Broken Column exemplified how Kahlo’s physical pain played a crucial role in her paintings, her emotional state would also be evident, stemming from her chaotic marriage to Diego Rivera.

Much of the emotional stress that Frida Kahlo suffered was a direct result of her marriage to Diego Rivera. Before and during the entirety of their relationship, Rivera was a womanizer, who constantly slept with other women, while Frida also seduced other men, and occasionally slept with women as well. This mutual relationship between Kahlo and Rivera, certainly took an emotional toll on Kahlo, as she once said, “There have been two great accidents in my life. One was the trolley, and the other was Diego. Diego was by far the worst” (Frida). Kahlo’s emotional health was constantly in a state of stress during her marriage to Rivera, having to deal with all his affairs, one of which included her own sister. Kahlo’s pent-up anguish during her marriage with Rivera, much like her physical pain, is present in most of her artwork, and is especially evident in her painting A Few Small Nips (fig. 5).

Figure 5. Frida Kahlo, A Few Small Nips. 1935. Oil on metal. 29.5 x 39.5 cm. Dolores Olmedo Patiño Museum, Mexico City

In the painting, Kahlo depicts a woman lying on a bed with stab wounds and blood all over her naked body. A man, who could presumably resemble Diego Rivera, stands over the body with his shirt soaked in blood, while two doves, the universal symbols of love, hold a banner which translates to “A Few Small Nips”. The painting seems to allude to the relationship between Frida and Diego, mirroring how Diego’s lack of faithfulness toward Frida is slowly, but surly, killing her. Ironically, Kahlo’s marriage to Rivera would help her to further develop her identity to which the world perceives her today.

Through all the infidelities and emotional trauma that both Frida and Diego caused to one another, there are still aspects of their chaotic relationship that have proven to have been beneficial, especially for Frida. Even before the marriage, Diego had an impact on her changing character, actively involving Frida in social and political movements which fought for the rights of Mexicans. Rivera’s strong sense of nationalism began to rub off onto Kahlo, as she embraced her mestizo, or mixed, culture (her mother was a native of Mexico, and her father was a Jewish Hungarian, born in Germany). Like much of Mexico during the post-revolutionary years, Frida started to take more pride in her “Mexicanidad”, wearing vibrant, elegant clothing and dresses that were traditionally worn by native, Tehuana women. Kahlo’s wearing of such exotic dresses were both intended to impress Rivera, but also to have nationalistic symbolism, which according to Lis Pankl and Kevin Blake are significant, because the Tehuana women are:

female descendants of the Zapotec people enjoy a large degree of equality with the men in their society and are producers of valuable material culture bought and sold in the markets. Historically, these women have represented strength, sensuality, and exoticism (Campbell and Green 1996). Also, the region itself symbolizes a purity independent from
colonial conquest (Belnap 2001).

Figure 6. Frida Kahlo, Self Portrait as a Tehuana. 1943. Oil on board. 76 x 61cm. Jacques and Natasha Gelman Collection, Mexico City

Kahlo embraced this idea of associating her identity with that of the Tehuana women, with the intention that she would be able to portray qualities of strength and independence to inspire others to follow her lead. Rivera was very receptive to this perception, even “encouraging Kahlo to use the Tehuana trope as a guiding theme in her art” (Pankl and Blake 9). This reoccurring theme can be seen in almost all her self-portraits, such as her painting Self Portrait as a Tehuana (fig. 6). In the painting, Kahlo illustrates herself dressed in traditional Tehuana garb, with the same powerful, straight-faced look that demands respect. On her forehead, she paints an image of Diego, which could be symbolizing the impact and influence that he has had on molding Frida’s persona. Frida’s choice to associate with the symbolism of Tehuana women, as well as her elaborate clothing style, would help to propel her into becoming a pop icon, even after her death.

In the last decade, the life and times of Frida Kahlo has become popularized and thrust into the national spotlight of today’s analytical society. Frida certainly made waves of her own as both an activist and artist during her time, but her life did not achieve the same amount of critique and cult following that it has had since her death in 1954. It would not be until 1983, when author Hayden Herrera would publish Frida: A

Figure 7. Selma Hayak stars in the Julie Taymor film Frida, a recreation of the life of Kahlo. The critically-acclaimed film won numerous awards, including three Golden Globe awards.

Biography of Frida Kahlo, that Kahlo’s legacy would begin to take off. This biography, a “500-page tome that introduced the artist and her work to a wider audience” (Miranda), paved the way for her artwork and popularity to be hailed by people all over the world, who otherwise had no previous knowledge or familiarity with the artist. Herrera’s biography would be “perhaps the biggest boost to her popularity” (Miranda), being one of the first to fully write on the captivating life of Frida. Soon after, the legend and artwork of Frida Kahlo was revitalized, as more books, articles and movies, such as the Julie Taymor film Frida (fig. 7), attempted to recreate the image of Frida’s essence. The rise of “Fridamania” could not have come at a better time, particularly in the United States, where social movements were beginning to take shape in changing social culture. Activists within the Feminist and Gay Rights movements were, and still are, storming the streets of major cities across the country, represented by the image of the one and only, Frida Kahlo.

Figure 8. Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera marching with the Syndicate for Technical Workers, Painters and Sculptors. Circa 1929

In the wake of the vast amounts of social change currently taking place in all different parts of the world, Frida Kahlo has become a heroine figure that has glorified the ideals of these movements. Social movements, such as the Feminist Movement and the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transsexual and Queer (LGBTQ) Movements and the Chicana Movements, have used Kahlo as a representation of their ongoing struggles and unwillingness to give in to societal norms. These movements are able to relate to the trials and tribulations that Kahlo struggled with her whole life, enduring all the pain that accompanied the hardship, but continuing to be resilient through it all. Camilla Brett, an arts and culture consultant in Mexico City and founder of Prospero Teatro Mexico, wrote recently in an article for The Guardian that, “Kahlo represents values such as “empowerment”, “freedom”, “independence”, “honesty” and “being true to yourself”” (Brett). Frida’s life message resonates fully with these movements, as they fight for equality and the right to be treated as such. Hilda Trujillo, director of the Frida Kahlo Museum in Mexico City agrees with Brett, saying, “she didn’t respect social conventions, she did what she wanted. She represents the values of a contemporary woman: she is free, independent, and is not overcome by anything” (Brett). Frida was truly a revolutionary, and sought to inspire to fight for causes they believed in. While Frida was highly active in social movements during her life, her role as an activist was not limited to the time she had on this Earth, but has been extended to numerous causes that are fighting today.

No matter how controversial of a person Frida Kahlo was, there is no disputing that she was and still is a revolutionary artist whose influence has been evident, not only while she was alive, but long after her death. Frida challenged the role of women and female artists, by refusing to give in to societal norms, and being true to herself. Her sense of self, in addition to the physical and emotional pain that she endured her whole life, is evident within her artwork and serves as a testament to her perseverance and unwillingness to surrender to her life’s troubles. Through both her mannerisms and style, Frida demonstrated her innate ability to be resilient in the face of adversity, serving as an inspiration to those who feel they have been repressed. In an article for the New York Time, author Hayden Herrera commented:

In a society obsessed with self-discovery and self-disclosure, one bent on “sharing” even the most private facets of feeling, Kahlo’s autobiography in paint is exemplary. For a society drawn to notions of victimization and sadomasochism, Kahlo is certainly an alluring victim. For a people preoccupied with psychological health, fearful of AIDS and appalled by drug abuse, the gritty strength with which she endured, her illness is salutary. Although her paintings record specific moments in her life, all who look at them feel that Frida is speaking directly to them. Her Art Was a Bomb Tied With a Ribbon.

Although a long time has passed since Frida’s death, there is no doubt that her messages in her art, as well as through her life story will forever shape our perceptions of life. The legend of Frida Kahlo will continue to serve as a beacon of light, not just for women, but for all people today, throughout future generations.

Figure 9. Whether it was through her art, activism, style, or life story, Frida Kahlo has continued to be an inspirational and iconic figure for all people.

Bibliography

Alcántara, Isabel, and Sandra Egnolff. Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera. Prestel Publishing, New York, New York, 1999. Print.

This book is a historical biography of the life and marriage of Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera.
Each chapter of the biography talks about different events during their lives that seemed to have the most impact in shaping them as a couple and as artists. This book gave me background information about Frida’s life and made the case about how certain events influenced who she was as person, especially later in her lifetime. I was also able to use this book for citing some of the artwork that I used within my essay.

Blake, Kevin, and Lis Pankl. Made In Her Image: Frida Kahlo as Material Culture. 2nd ed., vol. 44 pp. 1–17, Made In Her Image: Frida Kahlo as Material Culture. Web. https://www.k-state.edu/geography/kblake/papers/Made in Her Image, Frida Kahlo as Material Cutlure.pdf. Accessed 5 Mar. 2017.

This paper, co-written by two professors from Kansas State University really helped to solidify my ideas of Frida’s image and how society was able to use her image as a means of becoming the face of numerous social movements. I was specifically able to key in on what the professors had to say about Kahlo’s dresses and style, which gave me more evidence to support the idea of Kahlo’s pride in her Mexican heritage. I found this source to be extremely helpful in also giving me more information about her life and how she was propelled into the national spotlight after her death.

Brett, Camila. “In the Footsteps of Frida Kahlo: How Is Life Changing for Mexico City’s
Women?” Mexico City Live, The Guardian News and Media, 9 Nov. 2015. Web. https://www.theguardian.com/cities/2015/nov/09/frida-kahlo-how-life-changing-mexico-city-women. Accessed 5 Mar. 2017.

Camila Brett writes this article, speaking of the impact that Frida Kahlo had on social activism and fighting for women’s rights. Brett interviews multiple women throughout her article, citing the abuses and inequalities suffered by women in today’s society. Brett then explains how Frida has become an inspiration for women and underrepresented groups throughout the world. I gathered and used quotes from the curator of the Frida Kahlo Museum in Mexico City, who was interviewed by Brett, to help support my arguments and solidify my ideas. The article was the most helpful for me to understand how Frida was able to empower others to fight for their rights.

“Frida and Diego.” The New York Times, Fordors, 1 Jan. 2006. Web. http://www.nytimes.com/fodors/top/features/travel/destinations/mexico/mexicocity. Accessed 6 Feb. 2017

This article gives an overview of the life and relationship between Kahlo and Rivera. The author describes their unusual relationship and how both artists were able to achieve their own success in their own rights. I will use this source as a means of reinforcing the tumultuous relationship between the two artists and how they were able to maintain both personal and professional lives. This article also describes some of the political ideals of the artists and their relationship with the exiled Leon Trotsky.

Frida. “Frida Kahlo and Her Paintings.” Frida Kahlo – Paintings, Biography, and Quotes of Frida Kahlo. Web. http://www.fridakahlo.org/. Accessed 22 Feb. 2017.

This website not only provides a full biography on the life of Frida Kahlo, but also includes all of her artworks, both paintings and drawings, as well as the meaning and influence behind them. Although this source is not an academic source, it was useful because allowed me to use the meaning of her artwork to show how events in her life helped to influence her artwork. It also gave me insight as to the exhibitions and events held which publicized her artwork. As with the other sources, understanding her relationship with Rivera was also useful in the biographical background of Kahlo. The site also includes direct quotes spoken by Frida Kahlo, a few of which I used in my paper.

Herrera, Hayden. “Why Frida Kahlo Speaks to the 90’s.” The New York Times, 27 Oct. 1990. Web. http://www.nytimes.com/1990/10/28/arts/. Accessed 5 Mar. 2017

This article, written by Hayden Herrera, who also wrote the book Frida: A Biography of Frida Kahlo, talks about how Kahlo and her message was able to relate to people and social movements, especially during the 90’s. In the article, Herrera writes of Frida’s life, and how her struggles and artwork has had an influence on these movements, leading her to become one of leading faces of these campaigns. I use this article as a means of tying my central theme together and further supporting my thesis.

Lindauer, Margaret A. Devouring Frida: the Art History and Popular Celebrity of Frida Kahlo. Middletown, CT, Wesleyan University Press, 2003. Print.

This book provides interpretations of not only the art work of Frida Kahlo, but also of her whole life. Margaret Lindauer, an art history professor at Virginia Commonwealth University, gives insight as to the rise of Frida Kahlo, especially after her death and how she became a main stream celebrity for numerous social movements around the world. Lindauer also talks about how Kahlo’s art relates to her own life and how Kahlo was able to mask much of her life behind her self-portraits and works of art.

Miranda, Caroline A. “Saving Frida Kahlo From Her Own Celebrity.” Art News,14 July 2014. Web. http://www.artnews.com/2014/07/14/saving-frida-kahlo-from-her-own-celebrity/. Accessed 5 Mar. 2017.

In her article for the Art News, Miranda tackles the issues surrounding the celebrity status of Frida Kahlo, and how it has shied away from the true meaning of her artwork. Miranda details how Kahlo went from an obscure Mexican artist to a popular icon in a matter of three decades, as well as the rise of “Fridamania”. I was able to use some of Miranda’s argument in order to prove how Frida was able to make such a rise to celebrity stature, especially after her death. Miranda’s article was particularly useful in helping to understand how books and movies were able to propel Frida and her life into the spotlight, and I quoted her article a few times throughout my essay.

Motian-Meadows, Mary. “Kahlo As Artist, Woman, Rebel.” Solidarity News, May 1995. Web. https://www.solidarity-us.org/node/2782. Accessed 26 Feb. 2017.

Mary Motian-Meadows, in this article for May/June 1995 edition of Solidarity News, talks about the role that Frida Kahlo has played for the Feminists Movements, and how she was representative of the ideal feminist. In the article, Motian-Meadows points out characteristics of Kahlo’s art that was seen as rebellious and untraditional during that time. She also talks about Kahlo’s personality and how she was very proud of where she came from and who she was. I quote this article in my essay to further support my points with expert analysis. This allows my readers to be able to understand that my ideas agree with someone who has an extensive art background and has vast knowledge about Frida Kahlo.

Stechler, Amy, director. The Life and Times of Frida Kahlo. Public Broadcasting Service, Mar. 2005. Web. http://www.pbs.org/weta/fridakahlo/today/. Accessed 22 Feb. 2017.

This site gave me insight as to the life and works of Frida Kahlo. The site covers topics from her youth, to her marriage to Diego Rivera, and even describes her lust for life. The page includes direct quotes from Kahlo, which I will be able to use in order to support my argument about her art. The site gives in-depth detail of the relationship between Rivera and Kahlo, further supporting other sources about the relationship. I will also be able to utilize some of the dates provided by the author to give a sense of background to when events were occurring.

Tibol, Raquel. Frida by Frida. México, Editorial RM, 2006. Print.

This book is a collection of letters written and sent by Frida Kahlo to different recipients, such as her high school love, Alejandro Gomez Arias, as well as Diego Rivera. Most of the letters were translated to English, but are still the same words written by Frida herself. This was used as a primary source for me to better understand her life and to also use in order to get a better understanding of her thought process.

Trebay, Guy. “Frida Kahlo Is Having a Moment.” The New York Times, 8 May 2015. Web. https://www.nytimes.com/2015/05/10/style/frida-kahlo-is-having-a-moment. Accessed 5 Mar. 2017.

I was able to use this article as a means of supporting my argument of how Frida Kahlo rose to such popularity, especially in the past two decades. Trebay emphasizes Kahlo’s life and how “Fridamania” has exploded with the sale of Kahlo’s art, exhibits that feature much of her work, as well as Frida Kahlo merchandise that has been sold. This piece gave me a bit of background on the rise of Kahlo as a pop icon.

Vernon, Diana. “Fridamania: The Frida Kahlo Effect.” Culture Trip, 12 May 2016. Web. https://theculturetrip.com/north-america/mexico/articles/fridamania-the-frida-kahlo-effect/. Accessed 5 Mar. 2017.

In this article, Vernon explains the life and art of Frida Kahlo. Vernon gives insight as to how her art and influence has become so popular, especially after her death. She also talks about how Kahlo’s life was destined to become due to her lifestyle choices and how Kahlo’s controversial art reflected taboo subjects. This article was able to support my ideas and thesis of how Kahlo was able to become an icon even after her death, and have her life, as well as her artwork influence others.