Turning Tragedy into Artistry

From Tragedy to Artistry

HOW FRIDA KAHLO USED PAINTING AS A CATHARTIC RELEASE

By Madison Targum, Contributing Writer Graphic by Sammy Meyerson

Escapism is a common theme among artists of all mediums. Whether it’s through painting or sculpting, the act of creation can allow one to be reflective and critical of the world around them. At first glance, Frida Kahlo’s work is recognizable not only by the vivacious flowers in her hair but also for her obsessive use of her own face and varying depictions of her own body. Salvador Dalí is celebrated for his surrealist tactics and everyone’s eyes go wide for the vibrant nature of the works of Andy Warhol. But unlike her male counterparts, Frida Kahlo is the epitome of introspective art — utilizing paint and self-portraiture to bear the pain of her turbulent reality and resurrect her soul after each struggle.

The catalyst for Kahlo’s work was a traumatic streetcar accident she suffered at 18-years-old that left her with serious impairment of her pelvis, backbone and spine.1 While recovering, Kahlo taught herself to paint which resulted in haunting and stunningly unique pieces that would define 20th century art.2 Kahlo took inspiration from her own life, expressing her own lens of the world through art and surreal tableaus. After experiencing miscarriages and being unable to have children, Frida famously said “I paint flowers so they will not die.”3 She represented experiences of infertility and motherhood through her art, appealing and relating to the female experience. Kahlo’s intricate placing of flowers sprouting out of wombs and fetuses represents the cathartic release of emotions in painting these symbols of her own life.

As viewers of her art, we are also invited into Kahlo’s tumultuous marriage to Mexican muralist Diego Rivera. At the time of their meeting Rivera was

1 Fernando Antelo. “Pain and the Paintbrush: The Life and Art of Frida Kahlo.” AMA Journal of Ethics: Illuminating Art of Medicine, May 2013. 2 Phyllis Tuchman. “ Frida Kahlo.” Smithsonian Magazine, November 2002. 3 David Levesley. “11 Frida Kahlo Quotes that will Inspire any young artist.” Mic Media, July 14 2014.

an established muralist in the Mexican mural movement while Kahlo was still up-and-coming. The couple was extremely passionate about their joint political associations with the Mexican Communist party and the revival of indigenous Mexican traditions.

While known as a tight-knit duo across the globe, Rivera’s infidelity emotionally drained Kahlo. The open relationship that had survived other affairs ruptured when Frida found out about Diego’s romance with her sister Cristina.4 Despite the mental toll of Rivera’s extramarital affairs, Kahlo also portrayed her hopeless devotion to Rivera through her art. In her famous piece “The Love Embrace of the Universe, the Earth (Mexico), Myself, Diego, and Señor Xolotl” Kahlo paints herself holding her husband while nestled in the lap of an indigenous goddess.5 While it looks like the couple’s union is being sustained by the balance of light and darkness, details in the painting reveal Kahlo is trying to find a reason to hold onto her husband. Although she appears tranquil, tears still trickle down from her cheeks, and a bright red fissure splits open her neck and chest. Kahlo takes charge of the narrative of her relationship through her art, reflecting her hopes, but also her challenging reality. Despite the turmoil stirring inside her, Kahlo expresses through her meticulous details that if she could not be Diego’s only love, she would continue to care for him with the undaunting love of a mother.

A major turning point in Kahlo’s work comes after her divorce from Rivera. In the painting “Selfportrait with Cropped Hair,” the woman usually decked out in traditional Tehuana dresses with full skirts depicts herself in a men’s attire.6 Some critics

4 Javier Aranda Luna. “The Elephant and the Dove: A look at Frida and Diego’s Relationship.” Google Arts & Culture. 5 Maria Isabel Carrasco. “11 paintings that depict Frida Kahlo’s Vision of Female Sexuality.” Cultura Colectiva, May 9 2017. 6 Hettie Judah. “The Real Story Behind Frida Kahlo’s Style.” The New York Times, June 15 2018. say this piece is where Kahlo renounces her femininity due to the ill-fitting dark suit and the transformative cutting of her long black braids.7 However, in many ways this act of cutting her hair gives leeway to a journey of self-discovery and return to her old habits before being labeled as Rivera’s wife. It symbolizes cutting away at patriarchal norms and defiance against the expectations of traditional womanhood. Kahlo essentially returns to rebelling towards gender normativity by embracing her individuality against beauty standards of the era. In self-portraits, Kahlo leaves her masuline features untouched and exaggerates her natural body hair to provoke something in her viewers. She shows us that

if she can express her desires despite the societal pressures around her, it gives us inspiration to escape the confines of our own realities.

Moreover, in her efforts to cope with her struggles with family and identity, Kahlo created The Two Fridas. This double self-portrait highlights the dueling sides of Frida’s self. Initially writing in her diary that the painting originated from the idea of an imaginary childhood friend, Kahlo later admitted that it expressed her desperation and loneliness from her separation.8On the left, a traditional Frida sits mourning her past with her chest sliced open by scissors. Basically bleeding out onto her traditional white clothing, past Frida is connected to the manifestation of a more independent future self. On the right, modernlydressed Frida is regally clothed grasping onto the heart of past Frida, portraying herself as the new gatekeeper of both hearts. The juxtaposition of their facial expressions allows the viewer to see Frida as a phoenix rising from the ashes of her past: the wounded reviving her own spirit. Connected by hearts, these two Fridas underscore an introduction to self-love and a discovery of self-acceptance that she had previously lost.

Through turning private experiences into public art, the act of creating and sharing allowed Kahlo to find some light in darkness. External pressures had infiltrated Kahlo’s sense of self-worth as she could not fulfill

the feminine roles that were expected of her. Yet, Kahlo is also a perfect example of embracing and expressing inner emotions no matter how they could be perceived by others.

The world continues to spin underneath us with its foundational values of uniformity and traditions, but there is value in expressing desires and frustrations with our present realities. So whether it is actual broken bones, a case of a broken heart or a vision of a happy place, art gives us the opportunity to make reality what we want, maybe even making it into something beautiful. Frida Kahlo shows us that one can transcend suffering no matter what stage of life you are in — you are in control of your narrative in whatever form you choose to present it to the world. ■

Frida Kahlo shows us that one can transcend suffering no matter what stage of life you are in — you are in control of your narrative in whatever form you choose to present it to the world.

7 Fernando Antelo. “Pain and the Paintbrush: The Life and Art of Frida Kahlo.” AMA Journal of Ethics: Illuminating Art of Medicine, May 2013. 8 Dewi Nurjuwita. “The Meaning Behind Some of Frida Kahlo’s Most Iconic Works.” Lifestyle Asia, June 19 2018. APRIL 2021