Frida Kahlo: The Camera Seduced [Hardcover]

Elena Poniatowska (Author), Carla Stellweg (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 1, 1992

Extravagantly beautiful and psychologically complex, Frida Kahlo was a legend in her lifetime, and, nearly forty years after her death, that legend has evolved into a myth. Her intimate, often painfully revealing self-portraits have become contemporary icons. In life, she was a bejeweled, exotically draped, glamorous presence. But it was her face that mesmerized people, especially the parade of photographers who sought her out as a subject. In this collection of 70 photographs of Frida Kahlo, many never before published, taken from her childhood until her death in 1954, she is shown as innocent, comic, seductress, political activist, and mystery. Photographers as diverse as Ansel Adams, Nicolas Muray, Gisele Freund, Manuel Alvarez Bravo, and Imogen Cunningham attempted to penetrate the mask. But what each photographer was drawn into was a less-than-equal collaboration in which Kahlo was always the winner. Thick trademark eyebrows over piercing eyes, sealed lips, upswept braided hair, and regal deportment defied photographic interpretation but guaranteed portraits that would seduce. Who was Frida? For the millions who have been fascinated by her powerful allure, here are the clues, embedded in a sequence of haunting and enigmatic portraits.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

The mythologizing of Kahlo continues with this compendium of photographic portraits of the Mexican painter, accompanied by a "memoir" by Poniatowska attempting to write as if she were Kahlo. The resulting essay is a singularly turgid bit of writing, surrounded by photos that have nearly all appeared in one of several recent biographies. Apparently striving to maintain the potency of the isolated image, the editors have gathered together detailed captions and photo credits in the book's final pages, forcing the curious reader to undertake a great deal of page-flipping to learn more about individual images. Kahlo was a person of transcendent beauty to the day she died, and without the artful photographs, the book would be bereft of any compelling content. While this endeavor is little more than a hiccup within a continuum of more well-rounded and intellectually rigorous titles on Kahlo, one can't help hoping that it does not represent a new direction in art historical study. Sara Lowe's Frida Kahlo ( LJ 5/15/92) is the preferred title.
- Douglas F. Smith, Oakland P.L., Cal.
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.

About the Author

Carla Stellweg has worked with Latin American art and artists for 25 years. In 1989, she founded the Carla Stellweg Latin American and Contemporary Art Gallery, which presents the works of emerging Latino artists. She lives and works in New York City.

Elena Poniatowska was born in Paris in 1933 and is today one of Mexico's leading literary and intellectual figures. Novelist, essayist, and journalist, she was the first woman to win Mexico's prestigious National Journalism Award. Her novella, Dear Diego,

Product Details

• Hardcover: 128 pages
• Publisher: Chronicle Books (August 1, 1992)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0811802388
• ISBN-13: 978-0811802383
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.6 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #194,851 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Nice Collection of Kahlo Photos, September 11, 2007

By 

M. Brooks "Frida Kahlo - Amrita Sher-Gil Fan" (Sacramento, California) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Frida Kahlo: The Camera Seduced (Hardcover)

This book contains 60 B&W photographs of the legendary Frida Kahlo taken by some of the most famous photographers of the time: Ansel Adams, Lucienne Bloch, Lola & Manuel Alvarez Bravo, Imogen Cummingham, Frida's father Guillermo Kahlo, Nickolas Muray and others. The photos range from early childhood to her last days. A few of the photos I had not seen before but most of the photos in this book can be found in other more recent books on Kahlo. Although many beautiful color photographs of Frida were taken beginning in the late 1930s, none of them appear in this book....everything is in B&W.

In the beginning pages of the book, Elena Poniatowska writes Frida's memoirs as though she were Frida. At the end of the book, Carla Stellweg writes an essay covering the high points of Kahlo's life and her turbulent marriage to the famous Mexican muralist, Diego Rivera. In the back of the book there is a detailed chronology as well as a description of each photograph. The focus of this book is on the photographs. Although there are a few photos of Kahlo's paintings, not much is mentioned about her art.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars This book is SO BEAUTIFUL!, January 16, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Frida Kahlo: The Camera Seduced (Paperback)

The pictures are gorgeous and I liked Elena Ponitowskas essay in the book so much that I translated it into Swedish (my mother tongue), and now I'm illustrating it!

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful collection of photos of Frida Kahlo, January 8, 2012

By 

Peter D. Tillman (Taos, NM USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Frida Kahlo: The Camera Seduced (Hardcover)

Frida Kahlo's art is largely self-portraits. Her first and best work of art was herself, and she worked hard on her public image. This is a record of her public life, in photos by photographers famous and unknown. She was a beautiful and exotic woman, as well as a major artist. Fans of her art won't want to miss this book, which is nicely produced. It's out of print, but readily and inexpensively available. The text is interesting, but the photos are the real meat. Highly recommended.

Happy reading -- and viewing,
Peter D. Tillman