Frida Kahlo

Frida Kahlo. (http://www.dohabrands.com/newspost/frida-kahlos-self-portrait-in-miniature-could-sell-for-1-2-million/)

"With no attachments, like a foetus in a bottle,

The obsolete house, the sea, flattened to a picture

She has one too many dimensions to enter.

Grief and anger, exorcized,

Leave her alone now. "(Sylvia Plath, A life, pg. 150. "The Collected Poems").

Solitary and full of sorrow, Frida Kahlo and Sylvia Plath are kindred spirits. Both consumed with agony, they use their passion to deal with their pain, as well as use it as an example to others. Frida Kahlo was born three years prior to the Mexican Revolution. From an early age, her life was surrounded by conflict that followed her through the rest of her short life. However, these terrible experiences that bombarded her time and time again were essential to her character and her art. Frida Kahlo was, at the same time, a beautiful painter and a desperate sufferer. Through this suffering, her perseverance and strength are what really make her heroic. Both traits are practically the epitaph of existence, as well as desirable to many whom only possess the lack of such characteristics. Frida Kahlo is more than just a revolutionary artist, she is the human manifestation of strength, and perseverance.

Frida Kahlo following her accident. (http://www.flickriver.com/photos/27779106@N02/tags/fridakahlo/ ())

Frida Kahlo, painter and symbol for overcoming disabilities, faced countless difficulties during her short life. From a young age, Kahlo was cursed with absolutely terrible fortune. Aside from growing up in the middle of the Mexican Revolution, she was faced with multiple health complications.. "Kahlo contracted polio at age six, which left her right leg thinner than her left. She also suffered from spina bifida." (Frida Kahlo the complete works, Frida Kahlo foundation.) Human as she is, Kahlo was insecure about her appearance at first, disguising the asymmetry of her body with long skirts. Despite this, she still refused to let her fiery spirit be smothered, Kahlo overcame these early setbacks by participating in boxing and other such sports. Unfortunately, any athletic potential she might have possessed was destroyed by another cruel twist of fate. "Kahlo's spinal column was broken in three places, along with her collarbone, two ribs, right leg and foot, her pelvis was fractured and her left shoulder dislocated. A steel rod pierced her hip and exited through her abdomen, complicating future attempts to have children." (Frida Kahlo's Autobiography: A Life in Painting, Stacey Little.) This accident, devastating as it was, inspired her to begin painting. Her artwork is centered around the primary focus of pain, and this idea is what really allows people to identify with her, and glean strength from her suffering. The constant pain in her life allowed Kahlo to become a great artist, using her disabilities as inspiration, she was able to turn horror into beauty, unconsciously influencing others to do the same.

(http://arthistory.about.com/od/from_exhibitions/ig/frida_kahlo/Frida-Kahlo---Without-Hope--1945.htm ())

Frida Kahlo, not only used her accident as inspiration for her art, but she also used later experiences to create paintings that reflected her deepest, most intimate, pain. As an aspiring artist, Kahlo attempted to build a career out of her personal therapy, attending galleries often, this is where she met her husband, Diego Rivera. "The three tears staining her cheek could represent the years of pain caused by her longing for Rivera's love, particularly on the occasions he strayed." (Frida Kahlo's Autobiography: A Life in Painting, Stacey Little.) Theirs was a rather tumultuous marriage, mainly due to the fiery nature of both partakers. They had little in common; their art, their heritage, but most of all their love for the other. Although they had their problems, the admirable thing about the relationship they shared was that they persevered through it and somehow made it work. Through thick and thin, they stayed emotionally loyal to each other, and he stayed with Frida during the hardest time of her life, her infertility. "She depicts herself hemorrhaging after a miscarriage, but her vulnerability and sorrow are laid bare." (The Museum of Modern Art, Frida Kahlo about this artist.) Not many women have the courage to expose the heartbreak of infertility to the world, but Kahlo made it through her miscarriages, using each one as an example to other women who are also suffering. In fact, suffering was the main message throughout her autobiography of art. Suffering, and the act of overcoming suffering. Frida Kahlo represented more than an artist, she was a reminder, not only of the constant presence of pain, but that we have the power to persevere.

Strength and perseverance in human form, Frida Kahlo is more than just a revolutionary artist, she inspires us all to use the power we can find in ourselves to turn sorrow into beauty. Overall, Frida Kahlo was an amazing individual who was able to overcome the hardship she was faced with. Kahlo is an icon of strength and perseverance because of how she dealt with her suffering. She was able to take horrific life experiences and turn them into masterpieces. We can use this philosophy for our daily lives, although I hope we face nothing so extreme as her circumstances. Frida Kahlo personifies strength, perseverance, as well as the gift of being able to create artwork that provides admirers with the sense of power within themselves. She inspires us all to chase our passion, stay positive, and above all, survive.