entertain

I’ve never been particularly attached to the art of Mexican painter Frida Kahlo (commonly known as Frida). I guess I haven’t been very exposed to it, so I didn’t know enough to be interested or not. However, I recently had the opportunity to experience Frida’s art up close. Coming away from seeing the large collection of her paintings currently on display at the San Francisco MOMA, I felt hugely impressed by the static energy I experienced when I witnessed her work in person.

Frida spent a lot of time bedridden because of various physical ailments she suffered throughout her life. Because of this, I believe that she had time for endless introspection. She was also enabled to study her physical self by a mirror on the ceiling above her. To me, this amount of self examination not only explains why Frida created so many self portraits, autorretratos, but why they are so powerful and full of what can only be Frida herself.

The paintings displayed are all powerful and full of life, but the self portraits themselves contain an incredible force. Standing before the one that I originally felt most drawn to, I realized what it was about the painting in front of me that I was so captured by. I felt like I was experiencing an understanding of Frida herself. It was as if the very essence of who Frida was, not merely her physical self, but something more complete, was present there in the tall blonde room. Aside from radiating a severe, dignified beauty, Frida exudes a self-assuredness that may come from such great self knowledge. This assuredness is so rigorous that it feels intimidating.

Beyond the last room full of paintings are other two rooms. One contains black and white photos of Frida with her family, but in the other, there is a wall dedicated to Pasin por Frida. Here are displayed stories and pictures of people who have dedicated art and events to the painter and her work. It is apparent that a large amount of people are intrigued, fascinated, even obsessed with Frida. It makes sense to me now, and I think I can see why. It may be that people feel a human connection within the frames of Fridas portraits. Here is a woman who is graceful and elegant. A woman who knows herself through and through and knows how to express, illustrate, and convey every facet of that self to the world though beautiful art. Maybe they recognize the same presence as I did, and in its vitality, in its humanity, they encounter something unique and powerful, a bond between beings of the same species that seems to have gone missing from the sterile world we now know.