Frida Kahlo is one of Alfalfa Studio’s Seven Latin Divas, and fans of the Mexican painter may want to consider a visit to Artisphere in Arlington, VA by March 25. That’s the closing date of the exhibition Frida Kahlo: Her Photos and Artisphere is the only U.S. venue for this intriguing exhibition. Curated by Pablo Ortiz Monasterio, Frida Kahlo: Her Photos is comprised of 240 facsimiles of photographs that were part of a collection owned by Kahlo. The entire trove, totaling over 6,500 photographs, was placed in storage shortly after Kahlo’s death and not seen again until 2007.
The images are an interesting, eclectic mix of family photographs (including numerous self-portraits of Kahlo’s father, Guillermo), images of friends and lovers, photos taken by renowned photographers such as Edward Weston and Martin Munkacsi, unattributed photographs of Mayan ruins and indigenous Mexican peoples, and of course, photos of Kahlo herself. Monasterio has arranged these works in six thematic “rooms” with names like “The Origins” (childhood photos of Kahlo and her relatives), “The Broken Body” (photos dealing with Kahlo’s health problems and numerous surgeries), “Loves” (friends and lovers), and “Diego’s Eye” (photographs thought to have belonged to Kahlo’s husband Diego Rivera that either documented, or served as inspiration for, his work).
Some viewers may quibble about the fact that the images in the exhibition are facsimiles and not the original photographs. Others may long for more than the minimal text accompanying each photo (viewers are advised to pick up the exhibition guide offered at the entrance). But for those who are fascinated by Kahlo and her work, Frida Kahlo: Her Photos offers a unique, impressionistic look at this captivating artist and her world.
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