Blog #7: Expressing the Depth of One's Life

As we approach the art of Frida Kahlo (after the turmoil of the murals movement) I feel as if we have entered very different waters, calm and immensely deep. The images in the voice thread and the numerous other pieces of her made me reflect on the connections between reality, i.e. the life we live, and how it can be expressed through art. It almost seems as if Kahlo is putting forward a force linked to deep self-analysis in terms of psychotherapy. Her images seem so full of inner forces, currents and experiences, which powerfully reach outward through the surfaces of her paintings. Still, I suspect that her works had more meaning to herself compared to our impressions as viewers. Did she paint for herself? As a necessary force to to live and survive as a creative artist? She seems to be removed from the influencing force of commissions and commercialism which are often necessary aspects of being an artist. Was she truly so financially independent?

I fully admit not knowing enough about her life beyond her accident as a teenager and her stormy marriage with Rivera. Her paintings speak for themselves in the monumental attribute to her rich inner life and experiences. Every time I see one of her paintings my thoughts go towards what she must have experienced that would lead to such deep psychological self-expression in her art. From a broader point of view I wish to take this aspect with me as I study art, i.e. to never forget about the life and reality of the artist and the deep currents that move within us as human beings. After all, we can just attempt to understand the personal layers that artists embed within their art.

Frida Kahlo's life definitely calls for a further examination. It would be fascinating to have a class that focuses on perhaps, let's say six artists, in depth, reading biographies and examining their art in juxtaposition to the trajectory of their lives, don't you think? The photos we have available from Kahlo's life make me reflect about her unique reality and her mesmerizing art. Kahlo is truly an enigma.