Swoon. I just love Frida Kahlo. Her art has always fascinated me, but Frida herself was just so...I don't even know the word to describe her. Otherworldly. Unique. Genius. Enchanting. A goddess. She revolutionized flowers as accessories, long skirts, excessive jewelry, and thick unibrows.
I remember skimming through the pages of her biography in Barnes and Noble when I was eleven and stumbling across this painting:
And I couldn't veer my eyes away from it for some reason---I had become obsessed with this painting in some perverse way. Grotesque, but oddly amusing. How did somebody muster up the courage to paint something like that, to expose themselves in that way? The bravery left me awe-inspired. I kept thinking to myself, "Should I be looking at this? Would my parents get mad?" But I was too amused to put it down.
I wish I had bought the book, but I don't think my parents would have let me, to be completely honest.
"What about this one? This book about Monet? Or Henri Toulouse Lautrec? Or maybe even Henri Matisse?"
My parents would have mentioned those artists because their artwork (albeit amazing) are much more approachable and less...controversial?
But I don't think my parents would have appreciated the exposure Frida's biography would have provided me. Looking back now, I felt like they should have allowed it. Children need to be exposed to amazing artwork, to dabble in and explore all themes. Parents shouldn't shelter their children from learning about certain pieces of art just because of its supposedly "inappropriate" content. You never know, your kid could learn a thing or two from it. Food for thought.
To conclude this gratuitous blogpost, here are some of my favorite quotes a la Frida:
"I paint flowers so that they will not die."
"I tried to drown my sorrows but those bastards learned how to swim."
"I paint self-portraits because I am so often alone, because I am the person I know best."
photos courtesy of tumblr
xxx,
Lady Potato Head
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