Understanding Frida Kahlos Artworks

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To understand Frida Kahlo, one has to approach her work through the lens of personal perception, adding intimacy to the viewing, just like Kahlo immersed herself in each artwork. There is an inevitable consequence of such close viewing endowing Kahlos work with many interpretations, and appropriately so. The integrative, deeply personal concepts of overcoming struggle, establishing independence, and progressing beyond all contribute to Kahlos making sense of herself.

The first area of analysis of Kahlos work is the body and ones relationship with it. Kahlo became ill with polio as a child, which damaged her right leg; then, her spine was broken in an accident, which led to illness for the rest of Kahlos life (Hershon and Guerra). During her recovery, she began to paint, which was almost therapeutic for Kahlo. It became a way to portray her life: her marital problems, miscarriages, love relationships with men and women, sympathies for communists, and her identity outside and within suffering (Davies 386). Overall, in her artwork, Kahlo seems to draw on the history of her body and the pain it has been through to render herself whole again.

Studying hers and other bodies and faces in detail brought Kahlo to her signature style. Throughout her art, the images of her face consistently pervade (Davies 386). Under the guidance of her father, a photographer, Frida learned from early on to use a camera lens, study clients faces, gestures, and poses, and use a brush to retouch the photographs (Fried 1484). Similarly, Kahlos paintings strive to immortalize a persons image (Davies 386). Her art world legacy holds her strength, rebellion, and unconventional yet irresistible beauty. Kahlo has risen beyond the limitations of her disability and chronic pains, slowly embracing herself as the centerpiece of her work.

Another aspect of Kahlos artwork rooted in her identity is sexuality linked with the feminist framework. Kahlos most persistent identification is as a successful and highly visible female artist in the male-dominated world of modern art (Pankl 1). Pankl refers to this analysis as sexual difference feminism, where the body is the site of social, political, cultural, and geographical inscription (2). Kahlo seems to strive for the opposite of traditional, conventional, or predictable. For instance, Kahlo disdains the roles of an acolyte to men, a novice among the artistic bohemian crowd, or even a heterosexual woman (Hershon and Guerra). Kahlo defies societal expectations through her blatant personal and artistic display of assertiveness, machismo, and sexuality. Therefore, the artistic process by which Kahlo continues to grow and evolve is intimately linked with her violation of the established norm.

Lastly, Kahlos art does not merely portray her face and body outside the wider cultural context. The concept of selfhood in Kahlos life can be clarified by referring to a type of Mexican traditional folk art that strongly influenced Fridas style (Fried 1486). For instance, Kahlo may be referencing traditional votive paintings in Mexico, which usually depict a near-disaster situation, in which the protagonist survives by miracle (Fried 1486). The purpose of the folk paintings is usually to give testimony and thanks for divine help. Perhaps, in elucidating the meaning of traditional Mexican art, one comes closer to understanding the meaning behind Kahlos place in the art world.

To conclude, Kahlos artwork has become a symbol of conquering disability, feminism, independent sexuality, and ethnic pride over the past years. Her deep focus on self allows Kahlo to picture her life somewhat akin to a photographic process. However, unlike a photograph, Kahlo depicts her passion and unique view of her progress in each artwork, ultimately establishing her sense of self.

Works Cited

Davies, Moira. Exhibition: Frida Kahlo: Making Her Self Up. The British Journal of General Practice, vol. 68, no. 673, 2018, p. 386. PubMed Central.

Fried, William. Frida: Portrait of a Self. Journal of Clinical Psychology, vol. 76, no. 8, 2020, pp. 14831491. EBSCOhost.

Hershon, Eila, and Roberto Guerra. Frida Kahlo. Arthaus Musik, 1982.

Pankl, Lis. Frida Kahlo as Feminist Geographer*. Gender, Place & Culture, vol. 26, no. 1, 2019, pp. 149152. Taylor and Francis+NEJM.

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Understanding Frida Kahlos Artworks

Works Cited