The Poster Girl For Mexican And Feministic Art - 1378 Words

Frida Kahlo was not predestined to be the poster girl for Mexican and feministic Art and part of one of the most talked about marriages of the XXth century. She was born into a lower class home in the suburbs of Mexico City. Her mother (whom she called ‘mi jefe’ my chief (Herrera, 1983, p14)) brought her up to be a good housewife and a ‘believer’ (Herrera, 1983). Although she only started getting involved with it later, it was her father whom played a big part into her discovery of the arts (Herrera, 1983). It could be believed the concept of male female collaboration was always present in her life as her father, a photographer brought Frida along to work whenever he needed help. Her first serious encounter with painting occurred after she survived a car crash whose injuries left her in a full body cast for three month and on extended bed rest (Herrera, 1983). Seeing their daughter fall into despair from this intense physical pain and loneliness, Frida’s mother had an easel made for her and her father lent her paints (Herrera, 1983). Because she could not get out of bed, she started painting what was available to her: â€Å"portraits of friends [†¦], family [†¦] and of herself† (Herrera, 1983, p64). It was at this time Kahlo started her self portrait series, a style which later would earn her the praises of Pablo Pica sso and ——/ became famous and praised for. Although she had never envisioned an artistic career for herself, Frida was very ambitious with her work and became