I just came back from visiting the Art Gallery of Ontario's wonderful exhibit, Frida & Diego: Passion, Politics and Painting in Toronto.
The tagline was "He
painted for the people. She painted to survive." It was a
multi-media exploration of their dramatic relationship and how their personal
lives or politics affected their art.
While Diego Rivera was
already a famous muralist, known for his political statements in his work when
he met Frida Kahlo, she learned to
come into her own as an artist as therapy for her extensive medical traumas.
Working through some of my own traumas in my personal life, I really
connected with many of the self-portraits in the exhibit that depicted visual
representations of her inner and physical pain.
What struck me from a style fashion standpoint was how important details
like hairstyle, accessories and fashion were in the crafting of her personal in
art and for the public. In tribute to her ethnic background and politics,
she adopted a style of dress that was inspired by her native Mexican
and indigenous culture. In photographs that were taken of Diego
and her, or in portrait photos by other artists, she always had elaborate
flower headdresses entwined in braids.
Her clothing was richly patterned and colorful. In her self-portraits, she often depicted
herself wearing huge necklaces, or elements of nature worn like a
necklace. There were paintings where she
was framed in lace, evoking her religious beliefs.
While Frida’s style was not the fashion of her era, it amuses me
to realize how contemporary her look is to our present time. The style of flower headpieces she wore was
listed as one of the top trends of 2012 according to Etsy. I have
seen countless photo editorials of flower crowns on blogs as well. She rocked the statement necklace before it
became a “thing”. Elaborately braided
hair was been the beauty blogger’s darling for the past 2 years. While her eyebrow grooming didn't become a
trend, embroidered blouses certainly were.
Frida inspired countless women to be brave, to express themselves
and to love fiercely, and I salute her.
Frida & Diego: Passion, Politics and Painting is on exhibit until January 20, 2013.
Photos, Nikolas Muray, AGO.net,National Museum of Women in the Arts
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