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WHY IS FRIDA SO IMPORTANT TODAY?
Frida : an exceptional life
Frida's life is unique. She was in poor health, suffering from polio at an early age, and was involved in a serious bus accident at the age of 18 in 1925. While many people lost their lives in this accident, Frida was seriously injured.
She underwent numerous operations and was bedridden for several months. As a result of the accident, she was forced to wear a plaster corset for nine months. In order to cope with this difficult situation, she started to paint in her bed, as a self-taught artist.
An ingenious mechanism was used so that the artist could see her image reflected in a mirror and use it as inspiration for her paintings.
The wounded deer by the artist Frida
The paintings are a reflection of her life.
In the face of terrible suffering and stabbing pain, Frida is a strong woman who is forced to fight to move forward and not to despair.
Her marriage to the painter Diego Rivera will be both a precious support and a new source of sorrow in the artist's life.
FRIDA KAHLO: A TALENTED ARTIST
Her passion for painting never left her.
From then on, she created numerous paintings and quickly became a Mexican artist recognised in her country, and then internationally.
Although some artists, such as André Breton, tried to convert Frida to an artistic movement (in this case, surrealism), Kahlo's free and liberated spirit was not to be counted upon.
Frida Kahlo's paintings are not limited to a particular artistic style or school of thought.
Her paintings are the result of her emotions, her suffering, her anguish and her attachment to her origins.
This is why her paintings are so powerful and fascinating; they do not fit into any cliché or predetermined artistic rules.
Frida Kahlo's talent for painting is unique and her works are testimonies of her life.
FRIDA KAHLO: POLITICAL AND SOCIAL COMMITMENTS
Shortly after her terrible accident, Frida joined the Mexican Communist Party.
There she met her future husband, the artist Diego Rivera. Her political commitment lasted all her life.
She met Leon Trotsky in 1937, then a political refugee in Mexico, and invited him to her blue house.
An affair probably took place between them that same year. Frida was also committed to her country, Mexico.
She liked to wear traditional Mexican dresses, was interested in the history of her country and could not bear to leave it, as in 1930, when she accompanied her husband to the United States for three long years.
Let's not forget that Frida Kahlo is committed to women's rights and is for the emancipation of women in society.
This is why she has become a feminist icon today.
Bisexual and liberated woman, she always distanced herself from the shackles of the society of her time.
HOW DID FRIDA BECOME A WORLD ICON?
The Mexican artist's eventful life, talent and commitments have made her a global icon.
Several films have been adapted from her life, including the 2002 film "Frida", starring Salma Hayek as the artist.
Retrospectives of her paintings are often organised, such as the retrospective at the Orangerie in Paris in 2014, called "art in fusion".
And printed monographs are very often published on Frida Kahlo.
Self-portrait of Frida Kahlo
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Yes, Frida is an international icon today for many reasons.
Her whole life, her struggles and her strong personality, are examples for people, men and women, who are going through difficult times, who are suffering or who want to break free from pre-established rules.
She is a feminist icon, because she represents women all over the world who want to break free from macho or patriarchal rules.
And she is a strong symbol for the LGBTQ community, which admires the artist's open-mindedness and commitment.
🎨 The 5 emblematic paintings of the greatest Mexican painter
WHAT IS KAHLO'S INFLUENCE ON CONTEMPORARY ARTISTS?
Of course, Frida is not just a political icon or a symbol of social protest.
She is first and foremost a great artist who has left her mark on the history of art, and more specifically on modern art in the 20th century.
Artists all over the world are inspired by Frida Kahlo's paintings and her style of painting.
While she was alive, she was already a strong symbol of the vivacity of Mexican art and the Frida Kahlo self-portraits were already known throughout the world.
Many contemporary artists are inspired by Frida's themes or take them up again.
Pop artists are constantly introducing her image or references to the Mexican artist in their work.
Mexican artists consider Frida to be the country's greatest painter, and maintain the posterity of her artistic work in their creations.
For this reason, many contemporary painters and sculptors nowadays take up Kahlo's themes or image and include her in their work as a tribute to this great artist.
🎨 Top 10 things to know about the artist Frida Kahlo
WHAT TO MAKE OF THE EXCESSES OF "FRIDAMANIA"?
Numerous reproductions of her paintings are sold all over the world, in the form of posters, photographs, paintings and Frida Kahlo self-portraits.
Contradictory as it may be, Frida has become a household name. While the artist would most likely not appreciate this marketing image of her work and her body.
This new commercial image of Frida comes in the form of thousands of derivative products, logos, portraits, and even dolls made in her likeness. The artist's representations on these products are often smoothed out or even retouched.
The artist is portrayed as a feminist and committed, yet her unibrow is reduced, her moustache is barely visible and her face becomes as perfect as a model's.
It's hard to know where the line is drawn in these commercial exploitations.
There are two camps: those who think that this allows the artist to be known beyond art lovers; and those who do not understand this "fridamania" and who are shocked to see this immense artist reduced to an image on a cloth bag or a printed cushion.
Whatever the case, it is undeniable that Kahlo is one of the greatest artists of the 20th century today and that her influence continues to grow and stimulate the imagination and creativity of contemporary artists!
Read more articles about Frida Kahlo :
🎨 Top 10 things to know about the artist Frida Kahlo
🎨 ¡ Viva el arte ! : paintings inspired by Frida Kahlo
🎨 Frida Kahlo: artistic current and painting style
🎨 Discovering Frida Kahlo
🎨 The 5 most beautiful paintings of Frida Kahlo
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