I love Frida Kahlo. It was interesting reading her experiences with the Surrealists in Paris. Apparently she only got on with Marcel Duchamp, who helped her arrange her exhibition. (I just read briefly of Duchamp’s urinal adventures, he warrants further exploration.) Of the rest, Frida wrote:
“You have no idea the kind of bitches [the Surrealists] are. They make me vomit. The are so damn ‘intellectual’ and rotten that I can’t stand them anymore. It was worthwhile to come here only to see why Europe is rottening, why all this people - good for nothing - are the cause of all the Hitlers and Mussolinis.”
What I Saw in the Water is amazing. Of the self-portraits, Self-Portrait as a Tehuana is my favorite.
I enjoyed the Frida biopic, particularly the way her more famous paintings were woven into the scenery or brought to the fore.
I was looking for a book of Frida’s complete works and I stumbled across an embarrassing amount of pop art and merchandise. Socks, pillows, tank tops, a dress-up doll… it goes on. She has made me reconsider self-portraiture and its value and use, but I guess the downside of having a famous face is people put it on their tote bags. It reminded me of the Salvador Dalí museum gift shop, which had lots of odd trinkets in addition to prints and books, but in his case it feels more appropriate.
In the event it needs saying: please don’t wear Frida’s face.