Frida Choose

A new exhibition at the PMA aims to distinguish the artist from her tumultuous life.

by Lori Litchman

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Published: Feb 13, 2008

Painting

Frida Kahlo. As often as that name evokes colorful images of her stoic countenance framed by her bold brow, it conjures up stories of her real-life heartaches. The Philadelphia Museum of Art's latest blockbuster exhibition, opening next Wednesday, may help tip that balance.

"We want to disengage her work from her life," says Michael Taylor, curator of modern art at the PMA. "People know the stories. They know about the miscarriages, the accidents and about Diego's affairs. They often forget about her as an artist. We want to put the focus on her as an artist."

Philadelphia is the only East Coast venue for "Frida Kahlo," a traveling show organized around what would have been the artist's 100th birthday. The exhibit is the first major U.S. display of Kahlo's work in 15 years and will showcase several paintings never before seen in the U.S., such as The Two Fridas, Diego and Frida, Me and My Parrots and Magnolias.

Including 40 paintings gathered from collections around the globe, "Frida" spans the artist's career via portraits, self-portraits, allegorical paintings and still lifes. Other well-known works on display include The Broken Column, Henry Ford Hospital, My Nurse and I and The Frame.

Married to Mexican muralist Diego Rivera, Kahlo was often known during her lifetime as "Diego's wife," according to Taylor. While Rivera's work was public and larger than life, hers was smaller, more personal.

"She's a very different artist than him," says Taylor. "He can seem didactic. Her work is much more contemporary."

Kahlo has been called a Surrealist, but she shied away from that label, asserting that she painted her reality rather than her dreams. "[Her art] came from the circumstances of her life. She had to paint from bed. She had to paint what was in front of her," says Taylor.

She did focus many of her portraits and still lifes on the circumstances of her life, but as a testament to her emotions.

"There are a few things that make her stand out," says Taylor. "One is the way she used her body and her life — not as documents, but as a means to make great art. A lot of younger artists do that today."

Kahlo is quoted as saying that even though she was "broken," she was happy as long as she could paint. In fact, Kahlo attended her first exhibition in Mexico in 1953 and greeted guests while lying in bed. She died a year later.

In addition to the paintings, more than 100 photographs from Kahlo's personal collection will complement the exhibit. Photos include images of Kahlo with Rivera as well as pictures of family and friends, including Leon Trotsky and Surrealist André Breton. Kahlo personalized many of the photos with dedications, defaced a few, and kissed one, leaving her mark with lipstick.

Coinciding with the Kahlo exhibition is another focusing on Mexican art. "Fragile Demon: Juan Soriano in Mexico, 1935-1950" showcases work from modernist Juan Soriano and runs through May 11. Containing 16 of the artist's works, it is the first such exhibit shown at a major U.S. museum.

(l_litchman@citypaper.net)

"Frida Kahlo," through May 18, tickets required, Philadelphia Museum of Art, 26th Street and Ben Franklin Parkway, 215-763-8100, philamuseum.org.

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