Frida Kahlo: Images of an Icon February 3 – June 10, 2007

This selection of photographs traces the life and many guises of the formidable and exotic Mexican artist Frida Kahlo (1907–1954). She and her husband, famed Mexican muralist Diego Rivera (1886–1957), stood at the vortex of the most important political, social, and cultural upheavals in the twentieth century including the Mexican Revolution (1910–1920), the rise of international Communism, the development of Surrealism, and the Mexican muralist tradition that celebrated indigenous and folk heritage. These compelling images bring into focus the extraordinary world of Frida as both person and icon. “Photographs instigate, confirm, and seal legends. Seen through photographs, people become icons of themselves,” wrote philosopher and writer Susan Sontag. Frida was one of the creators of her own legendary stature in how she composed her life. She made the self-portrait the main theme of her painting, explaining: "I paint self-portraits because I am so often alone... because I am the subject I know best." She also effectively manipulated her self-image before the lens through her gaze, pose, and the carefully constructed symbolism of her clothing, jewelry, and hairstyle. Frida sat for portraits by some of the most renowned photographers of the twentieth century including Edward Weston, Imogen Cunningham, and Manual Álvarez Bravo, as well as leading photojournalists such as Gisele Freund, Bernard Silberstein, Nickolas Muray, and Fritz Henle. Her private side is also revealed here in photographs taken by her friends and family. The exhibition is organized around several themes: Frida and family, Frida as icon, Frida as artist, the playful Frida and the sick Frida who endured chronic pain and numerous surgeries throughout her life. Images of Frida with animals document the menagerie found in her household and also in her paintings. Frida and Diego made a charismatic couple and the exhibition includes a number of photographs of the two together. These photographs are from the collection of dealer and specialist in Latin American photography, Spencer Throckmorton. Twenty years ago he began to assemble his collection that now includes over one hundred images of Frida, many of them rarely seen.

This exhibition was organized by Throckmorton Fine Art, Inc., New York, New York and is generously sponsored by Helen and Peter Bing and The Paul G. Allen Family Foundation.

Adjacent Exhibition

Northwest Visions of Frida Kahlo The photographs of Frida Kahlo as well as the range of people who took them, are a testament to the power of the colorful and complex self-image she created. Not only was her image and persona attractive to her contemporaries, it has also been a source of inspiration and adoration for legions of admirers since her death. Particularly in the last two decades, Frida’s image has become ubiquitous—one finds her face on coffee mugs, calendars, key chains, matchbooks, mousepads, and more. She has truly been transformed into a pop culture icon. Artists have also been intrigued by Frida. Whether because of her art, her beauty, her politics, her perseverance in the face of pain and suffering, her championing of Mexican culture, her unconventional marriage to Diego Rivera, or her iconic status, artists have found inspiration in Frida. This selection of artwork is by Northwest artists who have created work that is connected to Frida, whether it is through the direct use of her image or through less obvious means. Several of these artists are originally from Mexico and see Frida as a symbol of a strong and vibrant Mexico. Others are interested in exploring her celebrity status as an icon of popular culture. Many of these artists pay homage to Frida’s artwork by using her self-portraits or applying her artistic approach in their own work. All of these works are a testament to Frida Kahlo’s long-lasting influence as an artist, a human being, and an icon.

Frida Kahlo Timeline 1907–1954

1907 July 6, Magdalena Carmen Frieda Kahlo y Calderón is born in Coyoacán, Mexico. Her father,

Guillermo Kahlo, was of Hungarian-German Jewish descent and her mother, Matilde Calderón was Catholic and of Spanish and Indian descent. Frida drops the ‘e’ in her name during the rise of Nazism.

1910 Mexican revolution begins and continues through 1920. Frida later claims to have been born in

1910 so that her birth would coincide with the beginning of the revolution. 1922 Frida first meets artist Diego Rivera while a student at the prestigious National Preparatory School. 1925 Frida is involved in a streetcar accident that inflicts serious permanent injuries and lifelong pain.

During her long convalescence, she begins to paint. 1929 At age 22, Frida marries Diego Rivera, 42, and accompanies him while he works on his mural

projects in San Francisco, Detroit and New York City for the next three years.

1931 Frida meets photographer Nickolas Muray and begins intermittent affair that will last eight years.

1937 Exiled communist leader and writer Leon Trotsky and his wife arrive in Mexico and stay in Frida and Diego’s home for two years.

1938 Frida meets French surrealist and critic André Breton in Mexico during his visit.

Frida has first solo exhibition at Julien Levy Gallery in New York City.

1939 Frida travels to Paris where she is included in an exhibition organized by André Breton and artist

Marcel Duchamp. The Louvre Museum purchases Frida’s self-portrait, The Frame (1938), the first Mexican painting in its collection. Frida and Diego divorce, remarrying in 1940

1950 After enduring 30 previous surgeries, Frida has an additional two surgeries on her spine and is

hospitalized for nine months. 1953 Frida’s first exhibition in Mexico is hosted by friend and photographer Lola Álvarez Bravo at the

Mexico City Gallery of Contemporary Art. 1954 July 13, Frida dies at her home in Casa Azul (The Blue House) in Coyoacán at age 47. Diego dies

three years later at age 70. 1958 Casa Azul is opened to the public as Frida Kahlo museum.

Guillermo Kahlo, Frida Kahlo Following Her Mother’s Death, 1932. Gelatin silver print, 6 1/2 x 4 1/2 inches. Courtesy of Throckmorton Fine Art, Inc., New York, New York.

Bernard Silberstein, Frida Kahlo Painting “The Wounded Table,” 1940. Gelatin silver print, 13 3/4 x 16

1/2 inches. Courtesy of Throckmorton Fine Art, Inc., New York, New York.

Bernice Kolko, Frida Kahlo in the Garden, 1953-1954. Gelatin silver print, 7 x 6 ½ inches. Courtesy of

Throckmorton Fine Art, Inc., New York, New York.

EXHIBITION: Frida Kahlo: Images of an Icon

LESSON TITLE: Pre-Visit Lesson: Icons

GRADES: 6-12

ESSENTIAL QUESTION: What is an icon?

BRIEF DESCRIPTION: Students will first identify icons in our modern culture, discuss how an

icon is created, and brainstorm what each icon represents. Second, students will look at

photographs of Frida Kahlo from the exhibition Frida Kahlo: Images of an Icon, and discuss the

elements of the images that helped to develop Frida’s icon status.

KEY CONCEPTS:

� Iconography

VOCABULARY:

� Icon: An image (or person) that represents a larger idea

ARTS EALRS:

1.1 Understand arts concepts and vocabulary

1.3 Understand and apply arts styles from various artist, cultures, and times

1.4 Apply audience skills in a variety of arts settings and performances 2.3 Apply a responding process to an arts presentation: Engage, Describe and Interpret

4.2 Understand that the arts shape and reflect culture and history.

4.4 Demonstrate and analyze the connections among the arts and other content areas.

RESOURCES:

Photographs from the exhibition, Frida Kahlo: Images of an Icon:

Guillermo Kahlo, Frida Kahlo Following Her Mother’s Death, 1932

Bernard Silberstein, Frida Kahlo Painting “The Wounded Table,” 1940

Bernice Kolko, Frida Kahlo in the Garden, 1953-1954

LESSON DESCRIPTION:

INTRODUCTION:

Prompt: What is an icon?

Students brainstorm examples and possible definitions for the word Icon:

Prompts: Are there icons on computers? (Internet Explorer, Word, Safari)

Are there icons for brands of clothing? (Izod, Nike, Roxi, Billabong)

Can people be an icon?

An Icon is an Image that represents a larger idea.

Who are some of the icons in our modern culture?

Students brainstorm current day icons.

Prompts: Music? Film? Sports? Politics? Art? Other?

Examples:

music: Madona, 50 Cent, Puff Daddy, Prince, Britney Spears, Beyonce

actors: James Dean, Paris Hilton, Jessica Simpson

sports: Ichiro, Kobe Bryant, Michael Jordan, women in soccer, basketball-Lauren

Jackson, tennis-Williams sisters, Lance Armstrong

politicians: President Bush, Hilary Clinton

artists: Dale Chihuly

humanitarians: Mother Theresa

other: Princess Diana

What does each icon represent?

When you think of _____ (Michael Jordan), what does this person stand for? What values?

Abilities? Products? Qualities? Associations?

Examples:

Michael Jordan: (Athletic prowess, fame, “he did it so I feel like I could do it too”)

Brittney Spears: (fashions, popularity, fame)

How did they become icons?

� Review: What is the definition of Icon. Where do you see images of the icons you’ve

described? (TV, billboards, magazines, newspapers) How often do you see images of this

person? Why do you think you see this persons image more frequently that images of other

people?

� Prompt: Give an example. Is there any other reason he/she became an icon?

� Prompt: In what way do agents, advertisers, the media, or sponsors help to make a person into

an icon? Could a person become an icon without this publicity?

Introduction to Frida:

Teacher, show students the photographs of Frida Kahlo included with this Curriculum Guide.

What does this photograph tell us about Frida Kahlo?

Prompt: First, Describe what do you see? List what you see in the photograph. Include

descriptions of Frida’s costume, jewelry, hair, body language, other objects and people in the

photograph, and the setting.

Second, Students begin to interpret the meaning of the image. Prompt: What does this

photograph tell us about Frida Kahlo?

How would describe this person? How do you think she’d feeling? Where does this person

come from? (traditional culture, communism, revolution, feminine, strength, independence)

Specific guiding questions for each photograph

As an iconic image, what does Frida represent?

CONCLUSION:

Review the definition of icon.

Students summarize what they’ve learned about Frida Kahlo through analyzing the photographs.

Next, field trip to Tacoma Art Museum to view the exhibition, Frida Kahlo: Images of an Icon.

EXTENSION ACTIVITIES:

Students read one of the biographies of Frida Kahlo (see Additional Resources in Curriculum

Guide)

Each student brings in an image of someone they feel is a modern icon (from a magazine,

internet, written description of TV image.) Analyze the image. What do you see? Clothing,

body language, action, setting, relationship to other people in the image, text or verbal

communication. Etc.

EXHIBITION: Frida Kahlo: Images of an Icon

LESSON TITLE: Post-Visit Lesson: Portraits vs. Self-Portraits

GRADES: 6-12

ESSENTIAL QUESTION: How do the photographic portraits of Frida Kahlo compare to her own

painted self-portraits?

BRIEF DESCRIPTION: Students select a theme from the exhibition and research examples of this

theme in Frida’s paintings. Students compare how this theme was portrayed through

photographs to the way that Frida communicates this same theme in her art.

KEY CONCEPTS:

� Comparison of portraiture vs. self-portraiture

EALRS:

2.3 Apply a responding process to an arts presentation: Engage, Describe, Interpret, and

Evaluate

4.2 Understand that the arts shape and reflect culture and history.

4.1 Demonstrate and analyze the connections among the arts disciplines.

RESOURCES:

Books:

Frida Kahlo: Portraits of an Icon, Margaret Hooks

(New York, NY: Turner Publications; Throckmorton Fine Art, Inc. 2002)

Frida Unmasked: Portraits by Various Photographers, Edward J. Sullivan

(New York, NY; Throckmorton Fine Arts, Inc., 1995)

Frida Kahlo: The Paintings, Hayden Herrera (New York, NY; Harper Collins Publishers, 1991)

LESSON DESCRIPTION:

INTRODUCTION:

Reflect on the exhibition.

LESSON:

Students select one of the following themes from the exhibition, Frida Kahlo: Images of an Icon:

� Frida and Diego

� Frida and her Family

� Frida as Icon

� Frida the Painter

� Frida’s Illness

Or, students develop their own theme from the life of Frida Kahlo.

Students select a photograph from the exhibition that demonstrates this theme. (see resource list

above)

What information about Frida Kahlo is communicated through this photograph?

Students begin by listing what they see the photograph, including, people, costume, body

language, setting, objects, etc. Second students describe the mood of the photograph and, using

the clues that they’ve listed above, students describe what they feel the photograph is saying

about Frida and this theme in her life.

What information about this theme is communicated through Frida’s own painting about

this subject?

Students select a painting by Frida that communicates this same theme. (see resource list above)

Students compare the painting to the photograph(s) in the exhibition. Beginning again by listing

what they see in the painting, including colors, objects, body language, etc. Second, describing

the mood of the painting and what they feel the painting is communicating.

CONCLUSION:

What do these two artworks say about this them in Frida’s life?

How does the information communicated by the photographic portrait differ from that of

Frida’s painted self-portrait?

Students compare the painting to the photograph. Students compare ways in which the

information communicated by the photograph and the painting differ.

EXTENSION ACTIVITIES:

Students extend the research project by exploring the biography of Frida Kahlo. Students

research the theme they have chosen in the life of Frida Kahlo. Students can also research the

specific time period in which the photograph and the painting were created.

Students choose a theme from Frida Kahlo’s life to which they personally relate. Students create

a self-portrait representing their own life experience around that theme.

Frida Kahlo: Images of an Icon

Vocabulary

Aztecs: a group of native people that lived in central Mexico from A.D. 1370 to 1521. They were the

founders of Mexico City.

Communism: a system of government that eliminates private ownership of businesses. (Compared to

Capitalism: an economic system characterized by private ownership of business.)

Folk art: products, such as pottery, paintings, and sculptures created by untrained artists. Objects may be

functional or decorative.

Judas figure: large papier-mâché figure that often looks like a devil or skeleton. Traditionally it is

wrapped in fire crackers and ignited on Sabodo de Gloria.

La Casa Azul: Spanish for the “the blue house,” Fida Kahlo’s family home.

La Prepa: the National Preparatory School, Mexico City, where Kahlo went to school.

Los Fridos: the nickname for Kahlo’s students at La Esmeralda.

Mayans: native people who lived in southern Mexico from about A.D. 300 to 1500.

Mestizo: person of mixed European and American Indian ancestry.

Portrait: a picture or sculpture of a particular person.

Retablo: a small folk painting made to give thanks for a miraculous recovery from illness or disaster.

Self-portrait: a picture or sculpture that an artist makes of himself or herself.

Surrealism: an art movement characterized by scenes that appear absurd or dreamlike. Originating in

Europe, the movement included writers, poets, photographers, and painters.

Tehuana: a woman who comes from the region in southern Mexico called Tehuantepec. Tejuanas are

known for their long ruffled skirts and colorful embroidered blouses.

Xoloitzcuintli (show-low-its-queen-tlee): a breed of dog favored by Rivera and Kahlo. Once bred by the

Aztecs, these dogs have no fur.

Zapatistas: followers of Emiliano Zapata, a leader of the Mexican Revolution.

Vocabulary and definitions from Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera: Their Lives and Ideas, 24 Activites,

Carol Sabbath (Chicago, IL: Chicago Review Press, Inc., 2005)

Frida Kahlo: Images of an Icon

Photographer Biographies

The photographs of Frida Kahlo in the exhibition were taken by 19 photographers – some amateurs who were family and friends and others who were well known professional photographers. Antonio Kahlo (Mexico, born 1930) Antonio Kahlo and his sister Isolde were the children of Frida’s sister Cristina. Frida adored children and was particularly close to her nephew and niece who were frequent visitors to her home. Bernard Silberstein (United States, 1905–1998) Bernard Silberstein was a photojournalist who did freelance work for a number of prominent magazines and newspapers including National Geographic, Life, The New York Times, and Time. During the 1930s and 40s, Silberstein frequently traveled to Mexico. He notes: “Of all the varied assignments I have taken through the years, one of the most challenging was photographing the major Mexican artists of the 1940s. At the top of my list were Diego Rivera and his famous painter wife Frida. The meeting was arranged through a mutual friend and my visit with them could not have been more exciting…Frida was a fascinating subject and I did a number of head and shoulder portraits of her.” Bernice Kolko (United States, born Poland, 1905-1970) Bernice Kolko immigrated to the United States in 1920 and began working as a photographer for the Works Progress Administration (WPA) in the 1930s. In 1951 she accepted Diego Rivera’s invitation to travel to Mexico, where she began work on her photographic project, Women of Mexico, which she exhibited at the Palace of Fine Arts in Mexico City. She was the first woman to have a solo exhibition there. Diego Rivera (Mexico, 1886–1957) Diego Rivera is one of the most celebrated Mexican artists of the twentieth century. A painter and muralist, he achieved international renown for his mural projects, which incorporated his socialist ideals and championed Mexican indigenous culture. He and Frida Kahlo were married in 1929, divorced in 1939 and remarried in 1940. Although their relationship was notoriously stormy, they formed a powerful artistic couple at the center of the artistic renaissance in Mexico. Emmy Lou Packard (United States, 1914–1998) As an adolescent, Emmy Lou Packard accompanied her family to Mexico City where she was introduced to Frida and Diego. With their encouragement, she developed her artistic skills, becoming a painter, printmaker, and muralist. Packard eventually worked as Diego’s assistant and developed a warm friendship with Frida. She lived with Frida and Diego for nearly a year and documented this time period with her many candid photographs. Edward Weston (United States, 1886–1958) Edward Weston is considered one of the masters of modern photography and is renowned for his photographs of nudes and natural forms. He lived in California for most of his life, but lived and worked in Mexico City from 1923 to 1926. While there, he became friends with many of the artists central to the Mexican muralist school including Diego Rivera. It was not until Frida and Diego traveled to San Francisco in 1930, however, that he met Frida.

Fritz Henle (United States, born Germany, 1909–1993) Fritz Henle was a photojournalist and portrait photographer who immigrated to New York in 1936 and worked for Life, Vogue, and Harper’s Bazaar. He traveled to Mexico several times and became friends with Frida and Diego. He was a prolific photographer and published a number of books of his photographs. In 1945 he published a book of his photographs of Mexico. Florence Arquin (United States, 1900–1974) Author, painter, educator, and photographer, Florence Arquin traveled throughout Latin America photographing its people and places for lectures she gave in the United States. She befriended Frida and Diego and, in 1949, she wrote one of the first books about Diego and his art, Diego Rivera: The Shaping of an Artist, 1889-1921. Gisele Freund (France, born Germany, 1912–2000) Giselle Freund was an activist who used photography as part of her socialist practice. She was forced to flee from Germany to Paris and then to Argentina during World War II. Afterward, she traveled to Mexico where she met Frida and Diego. Freund was a photojournalist who contributed numerous photographs to Life, Picture Post, and Paris

Match. Guillermo Kahlo (Mexico, born Germany, 1872–1941) Frida Kahlo’s father was born Carl Wilhelm Kahlo in Pforzheim, Germany, but changed his name to Guillermo upon moving to Mexico in 1891. Both his father and father-in-law were involved in the photography business and he opened his own portrait studio in Mexico City. He is best known, however, as the major photographer of Mexico’s architectural heritage. Kahlo had six daughters, but claimed: “Frida is the most intelligent of my daughters. She is the most like me.” Guillermo Zamora (Mexico, 1913–2002) Guillermo Zamora was known for his photographs of the Mexican muralists Diego Rivera and David Alfaro Siqueiros. Later in his life, he began photographing Mexican architecture and his style has been compared with that of Frida’s father Guillermo Kahlo. Imogen Cunningham (United States, 1883–1976) Imogen Cunningham was a pioneering photographer who created some of the great iconic images in modern photography. She was born in Portland, Oregon, attended the University of Washington, and established her first photography studio in 1910 in Seattle. She later established a studio in San Francisco where she met Frida while Diego was painting a mural at the San Francisco Stock Exchange and the California School of Fine Art. Juan Guzman (Mexico, born Germany, 1911–1982) Juan Guzman was a photojournalist for Mexico’s major magazines and newspapers. Born Hans Gutmann Guster, he “mexicanized” his name to Juan Guzman when he arrived in Mexico after fleeing fascism in Europe. He and Frida were friends who shared similar political views and he visited her frequently at the Hospital Ingles in Mexico City where she spent nine months between 1950 and 1951. Leo Matiz (Colombia, 1917–1998) Writer, painter, and photographer, Leo Matiz worked in Mexico as a photojournalist and filmmaker from 1940 to 1950. There he met and collaborated with numerous artists including Frida Kahlo, Diego Rivera and Manuel Álvarez Bravo.

Lola Álvarez Bravo (Mexico, 1907–1993) Lola Álvarez Bravo was one of Mexico’s most prominent photographers. She and her husband, Manuel Álvarez Bravo, were part of the vibrant artistic community in Mexico City that included Diego Rivera and Frida Kahlo, with whom they became close friends. In the 1950s, Álvarez Bravo ran an art gallery Mexico City, where, in 1953, Frida Kahlo had her only solo exhibition in Mexico during her lifetime. Lucienne Bloch (United States, born Switzerland, 1909–1999) Lucienne Bloch worked as Diego’s apprentice on his murals in Detroit and New York and later became a fresco painter for the Works Progress Administration (WPA). She was also a prolific photographer and freelanced for Life. She became a close friend and Frida’s confidante, which explains the informality and intimacy of her many photos of Frida. Manuel Álvarez Bravo (Mexico, 1902–2002) Manuel Álvarez Bravo is considered one of the great photographers of the twentieth century and is renowned for his evocative photographs of Mexico and its people. He and his wife Lola Álvarez Bravo were part of a close-knit circle of artists including Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera, who were part of the artistic renaissance that flourished in Mexico City after the Mexican Revolution (1910–20). Mayo Brothers The Mayo Brothers (Hermanos Mayo or Brothers of May) were a group of Spanish-born photographers who had fought on the side of the Republicans during the Spanish Civil War. They fled fascism in Spain by emigrating to Mexico, where they found work as photojournalists for both leftist and mainstream journals. Nickolas Muray (United States, born Hungary, 1892–1965) After immigrating to New York in 1913, Nickolas Muray became a popular and prolific portrait photographer. An early practitioner of color photography, he was renowned for his celebrity portraits, which appeared in Vanity Fair,

Vogue, and Harper's Bazaar. Frida met Muray in Mexico in 1931 and they began a passionate, if intermittent, affair that was to continue over several years, sustained from a distance by an exchange of paintings, photographs and ardent love letters.

Frida Kahlo: Images of an Icon

Additional Resources

Biographies

Elementary Grades:

Frida Kahlo: The Artist Who Painted Herself, Margaret Frith

(New York, NY: Grosset & Dunlap, 2003)

Frida Kahlo (Series: Getting to Know the World’s Greatest Artists), Mike Venzia

(New York, NY: Children’s Press, 1999)

Young Adult:

Frida Kahlo: Her Life in Paintings, Sara McIntosh Wooten.

(Berkeley Heights, NJ; Enslow Publishers Inc., 2005)

Frida Kahlo: Portrait of a Mexican Painter, Barbara C. Cruz

(Springfield, NJ: Enslow Publishers, Inc., 1996)

Inspirations: Stories about Women Artists, Leslie Sills

(Niles, IL: Albert Whitman & Company, 1989)

Adult:

Frida: A Biography of Frida Kahlo, Hayden Herrera

(New York, NY: Harper & Row, Publishers, Inc., 1983)

The Diary of Frida Kahlo: An Intimate Self-Portrait, Carlos Fuentes

(Sarah M. Lowe, Abradale Press, 1998)

Websites

Frida Kahlo & Contemporary Thought, www.fridakahlo.it

Tate Modern, www.tate.org.uk/modern/exhibitions/kahlo

National Museum of Women in the Arts, www.nmwa.org/collection/profile.asp?LinkID=471

Museo Frida Kahlo in Coyoacan, www.museofridakahlocasaazul.org

Videos

The Life and Times of Frida Kahlo, PBS documentary by Any Stechler,

www.pbs.org/weta/fridakahlo

Art Activities

Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera: Their Lives and Ideas, 24 Activites, Carol Sabbath

(Chicago, IL: Chicago Review Press, Inc., 2005)

Photographs of Frida Kahlo

Frida Kahlo: Portraits of an Icon, Margaret Hooks

(New York, NY: Turner Publications; Throckmorton Fine Art, Inc. 2002)

Frida Unmasked: Portraits by Various Photographers, Edward J. Sullivan

(New York, NY; Throckmorton Fine Arts, Inc., 1995)

Frida Kahlo: The Camera Seduced, Elena Poniatowska and Carla Stellweg

(San Francisco, CA; Chronicle Books, 1992)

I Will Never Forget You: Frida Kahlo & Nickolas Muray, Unpublished Photographs and

Letters, Saloman Grimberg

(San Francisco, CA, Chronicle Books, 2004)

Paintings by Frida Kahlo

Frida Kahlo: The Paintings, Hayden Herrera

(New York, NY; Harper Collins Publishers, 1991)

Lesson Ideas

Contemporary Art and Multicultural Education, Susan Cahan and Zoya Kocur (ed.)

(New York, NY: The New Museum of Contemporary Art, 1996)