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| Frida Kahlo, 6 x 8, Graphite, TMDD |
Frida Kahlo, Diego Rivera's love of his life. Tomorrow, Ellis and I will be previewing the exhibit about to open at The DIA, Detroit Institute of Art. Naturally, I selected her image, plain and simple, with none of the usual adornments we usually see in photographs and her paintings of herself. I wanted to see her as she was before she was in the spotlight. While Diego was the big shot back then when he painted the murals at the DIA of men at labor in the Detroit auto factories and she was in the his dynamic shadow, her self portraits have become more important art as they reflect a woman's perspective of the female condition in our culture. While I'm familiar with her work and have seen the movie with Salma Hyak, I have not seen the paintings in person. I'm looking forward to standing up close.
I have seen some in person. The imagery is plentiful. You are lucky to have the exhibit available.
ReplyDeleteBTW, thanks for posting about black and white setting to remove colors from white paper. What a good idea.
You are welcome! I felt stupid not having thought of that faster. I'm still not getting good replicas of the pencil drawings; the lines are fuzzy. But at least the paper is showing up white. I do have to treat myself to Photo Shop Light Room. I keep putting the expenditure off AND the learning curve. I tried the 'text' setting too; but it didn't make an appreciable difference.
DeleteI'm looking forward to tomorrow's exhibit. I've seen Diego's Detroit murals many times--ever since I was a small child--but never her work. I do like the way the Mexican artists use such flamboyant colors. I will like Frida's use of symbolism in her self portraits. She not only paints her physical likeness, but her backgrounds reveal her inner self via symbols. I'll hear if I'm guessing right tomorrow.
Also reveal what was important in her life at the time, like Diego's infidelity, her pain . . . . Chock full of stories.
DeleteI had forgotten from the movies, that she had had her leg amputated. Her autobiography would be really interesting to read. I don't think one exists? I'll look in the book shop at the museum. Diego looks like a puffed up, egotistical chap who might have been extremely inhibiting to a sensitive female artist? Machismo and all that crap. (I marched down Pennsylvania Boulevard one very hot summer day in favor of the ERA).
DeleteEnjoy! I have only seen repros in books. You are a lucky girl.
ReplyDeleteI am looking forward to it. She has always fascinated me as a very capable artist living in the shadow of an over-the-top successful male artist with a strong ego. I want to see who's work dominates the exhibit. The Rivera Detroit murals are a civic pride. I hope the exhibit isn't slanted.
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