Customer Reviews

Finding Frida Kahlo

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REVIEW OF FINDING FRIDA KAHLO

By Gloria F. Orenstein
Professor of Comparative Literature and Gender Studies
Univ. of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA.

When I was in Mexico City doing research for my article: "Frida Kahlo: Painting For Miracles" which was published in the Fall 1973 issue of THE FEMINIST ART JOURNAL, I could only obtain very limited information on Frida Kahlo's work. What I did see was on display at La Casa Azul in Coyoacan. That was all I was able to see at the time. The diary was on display, and house was completely furnished. However, at that time I was told that there were many things that could not be shown to the public until fifty years after Diego Rivera had died, and that many of them contained expressions of anger which should be kept from the public until that half century had passed. I was told this by curators of museums and galleries in Mexico City. Over the years I have been following the exhibitions and criticism on Frida Kahlo, and naturally this cache of materials that has been revealed in Barbara Levine's exquisite publication, FINDING FRIDA KAHLO, is of extreme interest to me. Obviously, I am in no position to speak to the authenticity of the various items in this treasure trove, but I did find it important to learn that those who denied their authenticity have not actually seen the materials, and that those who authenticated some of them have, in fact, subjected them to the tests required to make pronouncements regarding their authenticity.
I have been showing the book to my students, hoping to expose them to the complexity of issues surrounding these decisions. To me, this cache is much like a letter in a bottle put out to sea in the hopes that it will reach the right person on a distant shore at precisely the right moment. Clearly Barbara Levine, by the lucidity with which she has elaborated on the process of transmission that brought these materials into her possession, and by the clarity with which she has presented the peregrinations of the ongoing inquiries into the history of their ownership, is precisely the right person to have received the message contained in the metaphorical bottle. Only time will tell whether the complete contents of this collection will be authenticated, but for the moment, it is a fascinating conundrum, which will puzzle many art history sleuths who will apply their cutting edge techniques, theories, and disputes to its resolution for a long time to come
Because of what was told to me in the early seventies, I am not surprised that these materials (and those in another collection that I have also seen in San Miguel de Allende) have turned up just as the fifty years since Diego Rivera's death have passed, so that (whether they turn out to be authentic or not) they might be revealed to the public at precisely this time. When I think back to 1973, I recall a moment in which Art Historians and Surrealist Scholars in the states had barely any knowledge of Frida Kahlo (myself included....I am a feminist scholar of Surrealism (from Comparative Literature), but not an Art Historian), and I simply marvel at the way Frida Kahlo's work has attained world acclaim in just a few decades, and has finally been included in the history of western art. This is due in large part to the dedicated work of many feminist Art Historians as well as to that of all the others specialists who have been involved in these often extremely subtle, complex, and delicate matters.

In response to Mr. Oles and his criticism of "Finding Frida", that having seen the Noyola Collection and the results of studies by well respected scientists and recognized experts on Frida Kahlo, I am surprised by the critics' visceral attack of the collection and the Noyola's personally without having seen any of the work in person. This is a serious collection that deserves serious study.There is a protocol to authenticate or disqualify a work of art, none of which these detractors have yet to begin.A cursory look at photo-images does not a study make. The critics failure to personally examine the work or follow accepted methodology casts doubt on their opinions and raises questions about their motivations.
The Noyolas acquired the collection four years ago and have been working diligently to authenticate it since. They have consulted with scientists and experts in an array of fields.
The collection has been authenticated by Arturo Garcia Bustos, Arturo Estrada two members of the "Fridos", students of Frida Kahlo for more than 10 years and Rina Lazo an assistant to Diego Rivera and a co-signator on two of his murals.Bustos, Lazo,and Estrada are recognized master painters and muralists as their magnificent murals in the Anthropology Museum in Mexico can attest.Who better than her own students to recognize the work and words of their teacher? They were very close to Frida, involved in her art and life, painting side by side with her.There are no others except the Fridos living or dead who can make such a claim.
Javier Vasquez Negrete is a chemical engineer and forensic scientist and has worked for the Bellas Artes for many years. He performed pigment studies on 10 paintings in the Noyola collection and has dated them to the 1940s and further stated the signatures are integral to the paintings.Certainly no one was forging Frida Kahlo work in the 1940s. Frida had difficulty selling her own paintings then. J.V.Negrete was the only scientist to sit on the panel of experts at the Frida 100 year retrospective at the Bellas Artes in 2007 which included Bustos,Estrada,and Lazo. When one of the very same critics of the Noyola Collection, Raquel Tibol, cried "fake" when seeing one of the paintings in the exhibition,the curators of the exhibition enlisted Negrete to perform pigment studies to date the work, just as he did for the many paintings in the Noyola collection. The conclusion of the Bellas Artes was that the painting "Portrait of Alejandro Gomez Arias" is an original Frida Kahlo.
Handwriting analysis has been performed by a renowned graphologist in Mexico City,Juan Rogelio Abraham Dergal attesting that the hand writing is in fact that of Frida's.
There are 1200 pieces in this collection, revealing intimate details of this historic artist's life. The Noyolas have treated the collection with respect, following the rigorous requirements of authentication. Nothing less should be demanded from those who would have the world ignore this collection.

Please see Christopher Knight's wonderful article and blog in the LA Times for more about this important collection.

Finding Frida Kahlo is a gorgeous and inspiring book to hold in one's hands. The generosity of spirit with which Levine reveals her very personal experience of sifting through the scraps and remnants of another's life is an uncommon gift, especially in this age of cynicism and grandiosity.

Whether the materials in the Noyola's collection indeed belonged to Frida Kahlo or to someone obsessed with her persona, how sad that pomposity and greed amongst self proclaimed art lovers and experts will withdraw the book from the realm of beauty in which it belongs and relegate it (and the collection) to international courts of law.

I am no expert or art historian. I am however an artist and avid Kahlo enthusiast. I traveled half way across the the country to see the Frida Kahlo show at the SFMOMA. She has inspired me an my work greatly. Upon finding this book at the bookstore I was very excited. More Frida treasures! I opened the book and what was first excitement quickly turned into disappointment, shock, then anger. What I saw was fascinating, however I had to look at the cover again to see if this book was implying this was actually Fridas work, and it did. I have every book about her. I have seen her work in person. However the work presented in this publication I do not believe is hers. It is all too perfect. Too neatly laid out. And the quality of the drawings and sketches is way too contemporary. Almost has a graphic arts quality, which her work never had. Her work wasnt neat. It was raw. Everything, every little piece of paper has her name or intials on it. A total contrast to other personal items found of hers. There might be a few authentic pieces in the mix, but I feel overall it is way too contrived. Too much a love letter to die hards fans and followers that desperately want there to be more work to such an iconic artist. Granted, it is all fascinating and beautiful to look at.....it just doesnt feel like Fridas work. We live in a dangerous era, when the truth and authenticity of things is harder and harder to identify. I feel the people envolved with the research for this book want it to be real, and arent trying to deceive people, I just feel more should have been done before such a major publication was produced without full knowledge.

I have been following everything about Frida long before she became a notorious feminist "cult" figure and I purchased this book because of all the controversy surrounding it. Looking at the reproductions of the work my first impression was to agree that it was fake. However after more than a cursory glance I am not sure. Who other than Frida could conceive such bizarre ideas?

The style of the drawings does not always ring true, but she was so erratic.
I believe the style of her writing is inimitable. So I am inclined to think this work truly came from her hand.

Winifred Bell, former srt critic "The Berkshire Eagle", Pittsfield, MA

I thoroughly enjoyed Barbara Levine's previous book, Around the World, and couldn't resist when I saw this on Amazon's list of `hidden gems'. In many ways the two books offer a similar experience, voyeuristically drawing you in with glimpses into a stranger's life. This time it is no anonymous stranger but the iconic Frida Kahlo. The book is gorgeous and engaging.

For me, the controversy over the authenticity of the artifacts adds another layer to the experience. If they were someone's elaborately imagined ephemera of Frida's life that would be fascinating. Discussing this book as a scholarly work that is either `true' or `false' completely misses the point.

There are many fine reasons to buy this book, not the least of which is its outstanding quality. Frida Kahlo comes alive in this elegant unpacking of her ephemera, and it would be a sad day for lovers of visual metaphor, and Kahlo, if this book were to be overlooked because of unsubstantiated claims of inauthenticity made by jealous critics who have yet to examine the material directly. In fact, thanks to the controversy, "Finding Frida" will likely become a collector's item.

What's more, the book is designed with such bold intelligence and sensitivity to the material that Kahlo fans will be able to enjoy it from any perspective. If it's real (scholars who have actually seen the material say it is), it deepens our appreciation of Frida; if it's a hoax, ditto, but through the filter of an impossibly conceived and magnificently executed joke. Whichever it may be, the book is built on the solid ground of the author's imagination: one person's discovery of another while journeying through an archive. Whether real or fictional, it makes no difference. The book is a beauty.

This book immediately caught my eye. Having a great passion for art I obviously have a fascination for Frida Kahlo, and although I'm not necessarily a huge fan of her work, her life is very inspiring to me. She was a woman before her time, and the stack of letters, drawings and personal objects that this book contains brought me closer to her than I ever imagined. First I would like to congratulate the publishers for making such a rich find available to the public. The photography and page layout are amazing.

I have to say that I started reading and couldn't put the book down. It's like getting a chance to analyze a part of her life that was yet to be discovered. And the best part was that I felt like I was right there with Barbara Levine when she found Frida Kahlo.

This book took me by the hand to look at the life of Frida Kahlo: a woman who beyond an artist (almost by accident) was the embodiment of unconventional, revolutionary thought. I feel her impotence, anxiety, longing, rage, rebelliousness, and even hope in her notes and sketches. It gives me chills to view this icon's character at a personal, intimate level.

Revealing, touching and sincere- the unveiling of this ephemera tells a very passionate story. There is something in it for everyone.

Any photographer in the Bay Area knows Barbara Levine and has relished her shows. Now she gives us a treasure trove. While I'm waiting for the big photo book in the Spring I'll feast on this.