Posted on in HEROES, LGBT, two moms, Uncategorized, Wordpress

My Favorite Bad@ss Painter, Frida Kahlo

Yes, I’m, doing my best Frida!

As the summer continues to play out, and the US Women won the World Cup, AGAIN, I think it timely to introduce you to one of my very favorite painters of all time, Frida Kahlo. Why now? Nu? Like RBG, Frida is my hero. Born on July 6, she would have been 112 today. That is slightly older than me.

Frida was a brave and mighty girl who grew to be a revered painter and overall bad@ss Mexican woman. I just know that if she were alive today, she would have given that gonif (thief) mrt, a well-pointed barb or two for his deplorable and despicable treatment of Mexicans, and all immigrants everywhere. I’m trying very hard to stay focused and not go off on this topic when concentration camps are surpassing summer camps and conditions are horrific.

Frida’s childhood inhabited the chaos of a dictatorship sounds familiar during the Mexican Revolution. Such timing taught her to be outspoken about her views and values sounds familiar. By her early 20’s, she was a proud member of the Mexican Communist Party I am a proud, card-carrying member of the ACLU. She was never afraid to use her voice to speak out for her heritage, and her country sounds familiar.

At the age of 6, Frida battled polio. From then on, she was plagued with health issues. As a teen, she was severely injured in a bus/trolley accident. Her legs, already weakened from polio, were gravely damaged as a metal handrail crushed her pelvis, fracturing her spine, legs, and feet.

(c) Frida Kahlo Foundation

After the accident, she was left bedridden and wearing a medical corset around her torso. She began to paint to beat boredom. Her mom, she had a special easel made so Frida could paint while lying on her back. Such a mitzvah! (good deed). She did many self-portraits, and later asked famed Mexican painter, Diego Rivera, a K’nocker (big shot), to critique her work. In time, they married and their stormy relationship, and fiery moods and tempers filled many a canvas for Frida.

Yiddish Proverb:

If we cannot do what we will, we must will what we can do. Aoyb mir kenen nisht ton vos mir veln, mir muzn veln mos mir kenen.

Never farfaln (hopeless, lost), Frida always brought her own personality, chronic pain, relationships with men and women, miscarriages, medical procedures, and deepest feelings into her paintings. She also managed to add female strength, grit, and empowerment. Her work always spoke about indigenous culture, nature, gender, class, identity, and race in Mexican society. She painted her view of the world around her, her reality, for all to see. This is why she vehemently opposed being labeled as a ‘surrealist.’

Frida is revered for her naive, folky style, bright, bold colors, her love of Mexican culture and many portrayals of the female experience from a feminist perspective. She is a hero to many more than just me. She is an inspiration for many artists, people with chronic pain and disabilities, the LGBT world, and women everywhere.

Quotes from Frida Kahlo:

Feet, what do I need you for when I have wings to fly?

I paint self-portraits because I am so often alone, because I am the person I know best.

There have been two great accidents in my life. One was the trolley, and the other was Diego. Diego was by far the worst.

At the end of the day we can endure much more than we think we can.

Frida, she died way too young. She was only 47. Such tsuris (troubles, grief), always. She was found dead by her nurse at 6 am on July 13, 1954. It is said that she died from a pulmonary embolism. Gutinue (OMG), just imagine what more she could have accomplished if she were other-abled! She never once kvetched (complained) or let her illness, chronic pain, or disabilities stop her from living her life to the fullest.

Frida, her glass was always half-full. She lived every day with strength, dignity, and pride. May we all be so lucky. May I follow her bad@ss lead.

A bie gezunt. Go in good health. 

 

Some great folks I like to share with….

31 thoughts on “My Favorite Bad@ss Painter, Frida Kahlo”

  6. Oh Lisa, it is so nice to read one of your posts, it has been a while! I never knew too much about Frida Kahlo but she sounds like a force of nature. I love how you celebrate your heroines/heros in your blog posts. It is a great tribute. I feel the same way about my own idols and could talk for hours about them – if anyone was willing to sit and listen! #dreamteam

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Hi Tracey, thank you for your kind words! It’s nice to be read! I think now is a great time to have heroes and share them. It’s nice to have good, honorable people to look to and to share. I would love to know who your heroes are. Mwah! I hope to be consistently back! #dreamteam 😘

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  7. Pingback: #GlobalBlogging link up 120… | Shank You Very Much

  8. Great post Lisa. Frida Kahlo was incredible and so strong willed. It’s important that our girls learn about strong women in history and see where determination and courage to follow their hearts can take them. Thanks for being part of the #dreamteam xx

    Liked by 1 person

  12. Friday Kahlo is definitely one of my heroes and she is an icon in Mexico. She was always so boldly true to herself and fearlessly outspoken. She certainly didn’t worry about conforming to the society she lived in. Thanks so much for linking this up with #kcacols, hope you join us again next week!

    Liked by 1 person

  15. Lisa, I commented very much earlier but it does not show. I think this is a recurring problem!

    This is such an interesting post. I didn’t know much about her until I read your post. Thanks for sharing this with us.

    #Kcacols

    Liked by 1 person

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