Thinking About Frida Kahlo Today...

I’ve been thinking about Frida Kahlo a lot lately.  When I think of strong women she is one of the first that come to my mind.  Everyone’s got a quick opinion about Frida.  A lot of people are put off by the surrealistic and gruesome folk art she produced; it’s not exactly living room art – but who aspires to that?  Certainly her work is a feminist statement on the unflinching depiction of the female form and experience, especially her own experience. Some question her politics – she was very active in the communist party in Mexico during the 50’s.  It’s difficult for me to judge someone on their politics when I did not grow up in their country during their time and experience what was happening within their society, so I leave that alone.  Of course there is the uni-brow, God; I love that uni-brow! That is a true statement that says “I am who I am right now in front of you take it or leave it!”  Frida has always been a MAJOR fashion icon to me.  I can stare at photographs of her endlessly.  The color, the hair, the flowers, dress, shawl, jewelry she had it all going on perfectly – seamlessly all at once.  Very few women can or should ever attempt to carry off what was so effortless for Frida.  It may have been the only thing that was effortless for her.

Frida has been described as: "…one of history's grand divas…a tequila-slamming, dirty joke-telling smoker, bi-sexual that hobbled about her bohemian barrio in lavish indigenous dress and threw festive dinner parties for the likes of Leon Trotsky, poet Pablo Neruda, Nelson Rockefeller, and her on-again, off-again husband, muralist Diego Rivera."

Some of my favorite Frida quotes:

When asked why she painted so many self portraits:

"Because I am so often alone....because I am the subject I know best." “I was born a bitch, I was born a painter.”

On living her life crippled:

"I suffered two grave accidents in my life…One in which a streetcar knocked me down and the other was Diego."

It is said that on the day after her death, mourners gathered at the crematorium to witness her cremation.  Frida Kahlo knew how to give her fans one last unforgettable goodbye. As the cries of her admirers filled the room, the sudden blast of heat from the open incinerator doors caused her body to bolt upright. Her hair, now on fire from the flames, blazed around her head like a halo. Frida's lips seemed to break into a seductive grin just as the doors closed.

Her last diary entry read: "I hope the end is joyful - and I hope never to return - Frida.”

Some people don’t “get” Frida Kahlo; I absolutely get her and love her from her wild emotional gut wrenching art to her wonderful fashion sense and of course that uni-brow!

My thoughts today,

Building my Flickr favorites

I have been a member of Flickr for a few years but I've not really participated much. I am not a very good photographer I am better than my husband though, which is not saying much since he mostly captures blurry images of peoples backs and feet...really it is shocking how funky of a photographer he is. After spending an evening with Nina going through her Flickr favs - she has thousands of images that she has favorited - I got inspired and decided I need to participate more on Flickr. I thought the least I could do is pull a good favorite list together and spend a little time with these artists perusing their photostreams. Wow - talk about fun! Creating my favorites has been an artistic experience in itself. I liken it to buying for the shop - you get to pull together random things that in the end tell a story and set a mood. So check out my favorites on Flickr, it is just a beginning though, only a start.

My very favorite artist I stumbled upon was Tom Palumbo, one of the gifted photographers of Bazaar and Vogue during the 50's and the 60's. After viewing his Paris 1962 set I felt as though I had spent wee into the morning hours partying with the posh fashionables during the heyday of Yves St Laurent. You can almost hear the glass clinking and the wine pouring! To say that I respect this man's art is just not enough. Really, beautiful work...still not enough...


I also found Such Pretty Things and that is an understatement as you browse her collection of glorious images of the prettiest of the pretty! Everything sparkles and shines in a soft delicate way.

For the ultimate in food porn...and I mean that in the very best and most respectful way! You must check out Cannelle-Vanille an incomparable food photographer and stylist, seriously you will not see anything this beautiful and mouthwatering anywhere!

I would be remiss if I did not mention the collection on My Vintage Vogue. Here is a real passion of mine the sophisticated retro chic that depicts the beauty of an era that is gone but so beautifully documented.

Along the way I found snap shots of other images that speak to my heart, glowing Chinese lanterns, English country cottages, vintage baby portraiture, Paris apartments, sweet birds and pink trees! What a soulful collection and I get to keep adding to it!!! (Note, the photos listed in this post are not the photos of these artists, copy rights you know...so you have to click on the links and go check them out to see their fabulousness your self!)