To begin research for my paper, I read the biography Frida: A Biography of Frida Kahlo by Hayden Herrera. I knew next to nothing about Kahlo before I read this biography, but I learned a lot throughout the book and have a much better understanding of her life and art. She was born in 1907 on the outskirts of Mexico city and in 1925, when she was eighteen, was in a terrible bus accident that left her in almost constant pain and unable to have children. She married the painter Diego Rivera in 1929, becoming his third wife, and the two began a tumultuous high profile relationship. Kahlo had affairs throughout the marriage, with both women and men, and although Rivera's displeasure with her male lovers was no secret, many close friends described her as always radiant and fierce. Her distinct looks, with the slight mustache, pronounced unibrow, and classic Mexican dresses, were showcased in the majority of her artwork. Kahlo was also known for swearing frequently and using slang while speaking in English.
Along with her personal life, I learned a lot about her artwork and career as well. Her painting may have been somewhat small, but they were able to speak a lot. The majority of her works are self portraits using bright colors, and most put her in the category of surrealism. I still am unsure of how to narrow my topic on Kahlo down. I could connect her work and life to feminism, or see how it affected modern Mexican or American art. Whatever I chose to do, I am excited to learn more about Kahlo and broaden my knowledge on Mexican art from the mid twentieth century.
Emily, I would be overwhelmed going into a research project with no or limited prior knowledge of the topic, but you seem to have given yourself an extensive background off of which to build a great paper. I think that either of your possible topics are interesting. It would be intriguing to see how feminism in Mexico in the 20s either paralleled or otherwise compared to that in America during the same time. Alternately, it would be compelling to see her long-term impact on her trade. Either way, I wish you luck choosing and moving forward.
ReplyDeleteI think you captured the purpose of this post really well. I feel appropriatly informed on Kahlo, and where you are thinking about taking your paper. Have you considered talking about the effects of her art work and how it has been recieved by the public and the feminist communiity?
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