ART: “Frida Kahlo: The Complete Paintings” - The Most Comprehensive Study of the Iconic Artist’s Work to Date.
Published by TASCHEN and edited by Luis-Martín Lozano, Frida Kahlo: The Complete Paintings is a 624-page book that contains 152 paintings, diary entries, letters and photographs of the iconic Mexican artist.
After rising to prominence in 1939 for her masterful self-portraiture, Kahlo, who was openly bisexual, gained international recognition for challenging notions of identity, gender, sexuality, feminism and patriarchy.
“I really hope readers realise how much more complex her painting is, and how well-versed she was in art history. She was looking at many, many sources, from German New Objectivity to Surrealism, and also Pre-Columbian art and Egyptian antiquities,” says Lozano in an interview with ArtNet. “All this together makes her paintings much more than just her biography.”
“Kahlo was deeply influenced by indigenous Mexican culture, which is apparent in her use of bright colors and dramatic symbolism. She frequently included the symbolic monkey. In Mexican mythology, monkeys are symbols of lust, yet Kahlo portrayed them as tender and protective symbols. Christian and Jewish themes are often depicted in her work. She combined elements of the classic religious Mexican tradition with surrealist renderings,” writes the Frida Kahlo Foundation.
Kahlo passed away July 13, 1954, but remains one of the most influential artists of the 20th century.
You can purchase a copy of Frida Kahlo. The Complete Paintings here.