I Paint My Own Reality

Frida Kahlo is my hero. She was an amazing artist and individual. She was unafraid to face the world, even to stare it down until it looked awkwardly away. Kahlo was one of the few female artists in history to make herself the subject of her art and to unabashedly connect her face and body with controversial images of nationalism and revolution. She even changed her birthdate to coincide with the Mexican Revolution of 1910--she is the daughter of revolution, one might say. As strong as she was in spirit, her body was weak. She lived through illness, a major bus accident, miscarriages, surgeries, amputations, and body-altering casts and pins. Despite the pain and suffering, she continued to paint. She never gave up. Her passion triumphed over the pain. As someone who suffers from chronic pain, I look to her for inspiration.

I also teach Kahlo's life, art, and writings whenever I can. This opportunity usually comes in a first-year course in English or general studies. In the past, I taught a women's studies course that also allowed me to make Frida Kahlo my subject. For the past couple of days I have taught Kahlo, and for the next couple of weeks I will teach her work. Students love her/it. One of my students told me today that her friend (who is not in my class) is jealous that she gets to study Kahlo. I would be too; she's awesome.

To commemorate my admiration for the artist, and my hipster nature, today I wore a Frida Kahlo brooch. I bought this brooch about seven years ago when I visited the Philadelphia Museum of Art. The image is of Kahlo....well, sorta. It is a copy of her painting, The Wounded Deer. The brooch has a gold frame around it, as if it is a miniature of the painting itself, and I love it.

Here is an image of what I'm wearing:

Here is an image of the painting (from the Web):

This painting was completed in 1946 right after one of her many surgeries to her spine. She felt like a defenseless animal trying to escape, but this creature didn't give up. No matter how many arrows pierced the exterior, she carried on.

For those of you who need someone to look to today to help you feel confident and strong, give Kahlo's works a look over, but don't be surprised if you see some shocking images. As I said at the start of the blog post, she was not afraid to confront her viewers with troubling images. Given some biographical context, though, I think you'll find them quite moving.

Thanks for reading!