Customer Reviews

Frida Kahlo

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To say that this is a major catalogue from a major exhibit is to ignore the more important point...this is a collection of brilliant essays on Kahlo and stunning photographs of her painting and related works and people in the Kahlo circle, but also Mexican folk art, history and the modernist movement in Mexico. He is also a thrilling writer and critic on the use of allegory and on Kahlo and RIvera's hatred of what Zamudio-Taylor calls "the modern capitalist universe" against which both Kahlo and RIvera rewrote "Mexico's fragmented and violently interrupted history." As Z-T states, "Kahlo's mexicanidad prefigures postmodernism's distrust of progress and linear readings of history. This, most striking article, however, by Zamudio-Taylor who has apparently had extensive contact with her work and its curiatorial special questions, emphasizes Kahlo's work as existing at the cross-roads of a history and of conflicting narratives. He links her concerns not only with other Mexican painters and writers, but also the avant-garde in Paris; namely, Andre Breton. This article is amazing both for its erudition and its multi-dimensionality and detail.
This work is a collection also of fabulous paintings, photographs, time lines and for these reasons it is a must have in any library on Mexican art, modernism etc. Z-T is perhaps the most formidable of the authors of essays, but the book has also other major contributors, ie Carpenter, but especially Hayden Herrera and who interrogate Kahlo's legacy also as it influences those who followed, while also following up on the specific riffs in the work of others on the body, on the poetics of self that have their roots in Kahlos combustive images.

This is the catalogue for the current exhibition at the Walker Art Center in Minneapolis.It is divided into three essays: the first studies the artist as a Mexican modernist (the aim being to study her art itself, setting aside the myth), the second follows her life through the numerous photographs that were taken of her and which have survived (she was one of the most photographed artists of the XXth century), and the third describes the legacy of the artist (especially interesting is her influence on contemporary artists such as Kiki Smith).

The color plates of Kahlo's works (portraits, self-portraits and still-lifes) which form the exhibition are grouped in one section, as well as a private collection of photographs of both herself and Diego Rivera.

The book is not as complete as the 2005 Tate catalogue as far as the works illustrated are concerned, but the essays are more thorough and give valuable insights on the artist and her art.

Frida Kahlo is my personal favorite artist. I love her use of bright, vivid colors for subject matter that is often dark and filled with melancholy. I recently had the immense pleasure of seeing Frida's work in person at the Walker Art Center in Minneapolis. FRIDA KAHLO is the companion piece to the exhibit. The book focuses more on Frida's work as an artist than her tumultuous personal life which most people know by now thanks to a PBS documentary a few years ago and a biopic. Most of the book contains gorgeous photographs of Frida's paintings. I think this book is definitely worth checking out if you have seen the exhibit. It is a nice to have something to remember when the exhibit closes in January.

I bought this book after seeing the landmark exhibit at the Philadelphia Museum of Art. The show included a number of photographs from Kahlo's own albums and from other photographers. What startled me was the difference between the woman we see in the photos and the person Kahlo shows us.

The photos show a person who is more vital, more dynamic than the iconish character that Kahlo paints. I appreciate the usual art history stuff about her biography and influences, but I wish someone had the courage to approach the distortions that made her art.
The reproductions in this book are excellent and I passed it on to my daughter who, like many women of her generation, finds Kahlo to be a touchstone.

My wife and I saw the recent Frida Kahlo exhibit at the Walker in Minneapolis. We both thoroughly enjoyed it. I bought the book "Frida Kahlo" on line from Amazon as a gift for my wife. My wife has a bad back as did Frida. The pain in her body comes through in her art, and I think my wife felt a strong connection with Frida. My wife loved the book, and she was very happy with the gift.

When I was a college student 30 years ago I was fortunate enough to live in Coyoacan and visit Frida Kahlo's house a number of times. Coyoacan is quaint and charming and colorful. To walk the ancient streets is to enter a dream.
Seeing Frida Kahlo's work for the first time was startling. The honesty took me aback. Women were conditioned to keep quiet and not emote at the time and yet she literally bared all.
She fascinated me and I was drawn to her art, her homes and her life with Diego Rivera.
Hayden Herrera's book is a well researched and vivid depiction of a life fraught with challenge, triumph, disappointment, courage and eventual surrender. Her love for Diego was epic.
Another book about Diego Rivera that depicts the struggle of his first wife Angeline Beloff, also a great artist, is called "House on the Bridge: Ten Turbulent Years with Diego Rivera". In it one sees his struggle to define himself and realize the importance of Mexico and its culture to him. Living in exile made him crave the color, romance and passion of Mexico. Though he married Lupe Marin on his return; Frida was the great passionate love affair of his life. Yes, he had many but she was his match in many ways.

This book is one I have been wanting for awhile, so it was very exciting to finally have a copy. I studied Frida's work whilst at University and have remained an admirer of what she stood for and what she created.This book is firstly a lovely hardcover, with good photos of her work. It includes written reference to her life in Mexico, her family, loves, creativity and sadness. I have previously read work by Hayden Herrera so this book met my expectations from that perspective. If you find Frida's story and work intriguing, then this will be something to add to your art book collection. Personally I enjoyed this very much but if you are new to her work then this is an excellent reference book to start with.

I have several books on Frida Kahlo in fact an earlier version written by the same author, but I felt this addition stands on its own & warrants keeping as there is enough new information, visuals to make it a keeper.