The Diary of Frida Kahlo

[francesca]

The Diary of Frida Kahlo

Introduction by Carlos Fuentes
Essay and Commentaries by Sarah M Lowe
published by Abradale Press

Just in case people are unaware, Frida Kahlo was an extraordinary and fascinating artist, known mainly for her self portraits which resonate with her love of her Mexican heritage and often draw upon and symbolise the suffering caused by an horrific accident in her late teens.

Subtitled, rather unecessarily 'An Intimate Self Potrait' the diary covers the last 10 years of Frida Kahlo's life. The first part of the book is a reproduction, page by page, of the illustrated journals, followed by commentaries on the entries.

The journals are a mix of watercolours, doodles with inkblots, personal letters, thoughts, plans for paintings, crayon drawings, scribbles, complete works, sketches of pets, charcoal portraits all of which are imbued with Kahlo's unique sense of the visual, her instincts with colour, her love of the dramatic.

The thing I love and cherish most about this book is that every single page without exception is a feast.Kahlo didn't have to try for effect, it poured out of her naturally.Nothing here is contrived or put on show for others, and it's her natural talent, her gift of vision which informs even the pages of bold coloured handwriting, beatifully, artfully and artlessly laid before us.

When I was studying art, I had real problems with colour. I was a monochrome talent only, and even today my grasp of tonal value which is basically instinctive, is sometimes way off. I don't trust myself totally. Every time I open the pages of this book, I am awestruck by Frida's use of colour, her fearlessness, the confidence in her instincts, which never once, not even in the smallest mark on the page, fails her.


Frida Kahlo's work doesn't seem to be something that people can feel largely indifferent to. It arouses strong feelings, she arouses strong feelings, even her physical appearance courts controversy...I found her strikingly beautiful, but for many her celebration of her unusual self arouses distaste and fear.

I know this won't be of interest to many people, possibly no-one, but I just wanted to show that non-fiction can arouse as much passion and be as much of intimate experience as the best fiction written.

 

[Clara]

I am fascinated by the few painting of Kahlo's that I know. However, I have very little knowledge of art. I note that you have studied art - do you think someone like me would still get a lot from a book like this? I guess what I'm asking is whether the book is more about Frida Kahlo or more about her art? Or possibly the two are interlinked?

 

[Stewart]

Frida Kahlo sometimes features in The Guardian. There's more links at the bottom.

 

[Sitaram]

The Movie is Worthwhile

I recently purchased and viewed the DVD of Frida, a cinematic dramatazation of her life and work, and it is awesome. She was acquainted with Remedios Varo who interests me greatly because of her painting, "Embroidering Earth's Mantle," which Thomas Pynchon wrote about in Chapter 1 of "The Crying of Lot 49."

 

[francesca]

I am fascinated by the few painting of Kahlo's that I know. However, I have very little knowledge of art. I note that you have studied art - do you think someone like me would still get a lot from a book like this? I guess what I'm asking is whether the book is more about Frida Kahlo or more about her art? Or possibly the two are interlinked?

The artist and her work are entwined yes, particulary as Frida's work is entirely informed by the events in her life. If you really like what you know of her paintings and are intrigued by them, then yes I think you would like this book, no special 'knowledge of art' required at all! It is for me first and foremost a visual book; I would recommend the biography Frida by Hayden Herrera as the most informative read even to someone who didn't particularly care for her work, as her life story is just incredible and gives essential insight into what drove her.

I was slightly disappointed with the film Frida. Salma Hayek's interpretation of Frida was really amazing, I know it was a personal project for her and she really did her subject justice. Having said that I would love to have seen more of Kahlo's work and work processes in the film, and slightly less of Diego Rivera. I know that the two were inextricably bound, but his larger than life character ( Alfred Molina was excellent) became so overpowering that it almost became more about him than Frida herself. A minor gripe though.