The artist Frida Kahlo draws from here experiences in life to create unique and inspired artistical masterpieces. As an artist, Frida Kahlo depicts many of the common challenges felt within American society. To begin, she was divorced from a fellow artist. This heartbreak is depicted in many of her works through imagery. As nearly 50% of society is divorced many can related to the physical, mental and financial toll a divorce can have on an individual. Kahlo used strong autobiographical elements with her works to depict how she was personally feeling. For example, Kahlo was disabled by polio as a child. She also suffered a horrific bus accident at the age of eighteen which caused her lifelong pain, discomfort, and medical problems. These circumstances are not unique to Kahlo however, but instead are indicative of a larger societal problem. Here, Kahlo’s art is used to depict such circumstances. In her now famous piece, “Self Portrait with Thorn Necklace and Hummingbird” Kahlo depict the anguish she has suffered throughout her life. For example, the thorns in the piece are used to describe the pain of her body after the bus accident. It can also be used to convey her ongoing battle with polio and how it slowly eroded her body. The piece also feature a monkey and a cat in the a jungle. Many experts believe this depicts here Indian roots. From further observation, this can depict her personality traits as it relates to freedom. Both the Cat and the monkey are free to roam in the wild. Kahlo, was heavily bedridden as she has nearly 35 operations to fix her body over her lifetime, and as result, could not bear any children. The passage notes that Kahlo “…drew directly on the events of her life.” This can easily be seen within her works, as she seems to use her artistry as an outlet. She depicts many emotions that are common to human society such as anguish, remorse, pain, suffering, and anger. What makes her works so great, is the authenticity and symbolism behind them.

References

1) Rosenthal, Mark (2015). Diego and Frida: High Drama in Detroit. Detroit, MI: Detroit Institute of Arts, [2015] New Haven; London: Yale University Press, [2015]. p. 117. ISBN 978-0895581778.