A Ribbon Around A Bomb - Frida Kahlo

by Aimee Mouw

Title

A Ribbon Around A Bomb - Frida Kahlo

Artist

Aimee Mouw

Medium

Painting - Acrylic On Canvas

Description

I discovered Frida Kahlo and her artwork some years ago, but I had never been intimate with her history or person. So, I spent a few months in 2016 reading her journal, reading various biographies that were written about her, I viewed several movies made about her, and I even read, The Lacuna, by Barbara Kingsolver - a fictional biography of sorts. I found that I came to love her as much as anyone who has ever gotten to know her. I also found that I identified with her strength in the midst of physical pain and her ability to adapt, endure and live out her passions, no matter what life threw at her. She was also a woman who followed her heart and her dreams for her country. Though I do not identify with her dream of Communism, I do identify with her love of her country, and her zeal to influence others and make a difference. She made a big impact on me, and this painting was the result of my time spent with her, and getting to know her.

I looked at all her self portraits, all the photographs of her, and paintings that others had done of her. I wanted to pay her hommage as a ground breaking 20th Century Female artist, in a style I think she might have liked. She certainly deserves some honor and appreciation. In the portrait I chose a style dress that she might wear in colors that complemented her complextion. I painted a pair of her own earrings on her, as well as the ribbons and thorns she often painted around her own neck, signifying her struggle, her attachments and her body trapped in pain. I also chose to paint her with her hair up in a ribbon as she so often wore it, with added lavender colored roses, which are the most fragrant, because Frida defintely left her essence in every one of her self portraits. The butterflies I added are for Hope. Frida often added butterflies, birds, animals and plants into her portraits, and I thought she would like the butterflies, symbolizing peace and hope of a beautiful pain free afterlife. The blood streaked background represents all the blood she lost in the bus accident and the 35 operations she endured after that. The blood was the sacrifice she made in this life.

I hope you decide to read her biographies and get to know the woman behind the unibrow and pretty face. Frida truly was a remarkable woman and artist! She was a woman who deeply desired to be loved, who craved attention, who lost herself in Mexican folktales and befriended the birds and animals. If you get to know her, she will reach into your soul and speak to you. She will show you beauty, pain, love, adoration, fantasy, determination and carefree childlike playfullness. One moment she will entertain and entrall you, and the next moment she will tear your heart out and never give it back. "A Ribbon Around A Bomb," was what Surrealist, Andre Breton, thought of Frida Kahlo when he first was introduced to her and her artwork.

Uploaded

January 3rd, 2017

Colors

Embed

Share

Tags