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Presenting 241 photographs in six thematic sections, the exhibition, Frida Kahlo – Her Photos offers a glimpse into some rarely seen moments of the Mexican artist’s life, and provides a new perspective on one of the most iconic and enigmatic figures in Latin American art. The display reveals those personal, intimate moments under the turbulent surface of her life that have been less in the spotlight.
Entitled The Origins, the first room demonstrates how important the bonds and heritage of the family were for her. This section selects from the most characteristic family photos found in the archives. Besides the group pictures, which adapt the Victorian-inspired photographic conventions of the 19th century to Mexican culture, what stands out are the photographs of her maternal grandparents and her parents, Matilde and Guillermo. The photos in this virtual family album reveal how the portraits that her photographer father took influenced Frida Kahlo’s art. These pictures also helped her to have a sense of proximity to her loved ones.
Exhibiting photographers: Ricardo Ayluardo, Giséle Freund, Guillermo Kahlo, Nicolás Winther and unknown photographers.
The second room shows photographs taken in the Blue House, the artist’s one-time home in Mexico City. Frida can be seen at different stages of her life, from childhood to adulthood, including in a series of portraits his father took in 1909, 1919, 1926 and 1932. Some of the photos in this room are the result of Frida’s work with the photographers in one artistic exercise or another; others show her relaxing. These two sets of photos reveal a mysterious side of Frida, ‘the other side of the moon.’
Exhibiting photographers: Florence Arquin, Lola Álvarez Bravo, Guillermo Kahlo, Guillermo Zamora and unknown photographers.
The photographs in the third section, entitled Politics, Revolutions and Diego, demonstrate Diego Rivera’s interest in politics and technology. The images of industry and of the technological progress of the capitalist system—in particular the factory of the Ford Motor Company—are in sharp contrast with the portraits of communist leaders like Lenin, Stalin and Trotsky, and those images of everyday life in the socialist republics that he acquired in 1927 when he travelled through Berlin on his way to the Soviet Union.
Exhibiting photographers: Augustin V. Casasola, H.J. Gutiérrez, R. Horlemann, Frida Kahlo, Nickolas Muray, Charles Sheeler, Soyuz Photography Studio and unknown photographers.
Named Her Broken Body, the fourth section documents Kahlo’s hospitalization after her accident and her recovery. In 1925, Frida suffered a serious accident while travelling in a bus that left her bedridden for several months. From then on, her commitments to hospital, the painful operations and long medication periods became recurring chapters of her life. The series starts with Frida travelling by train and continues with portraits taken in hospital rooms. The section includes photos mutilated by Frida, the message being the parts removed.
Exhibiting photographers: Lucienne Bloch, Juan Cachú, Nickolas Muray, Pierre Verger and unknown photographers.
The fifth section, Frida’s Loves, is dedicated to those she loved and those who played an important role in her emotional and sensual life: her closest friends, her family, her lovers, and, above all, Diego. These more or less explicit photographs also show how effusively Frida related to these portraits: the lipstick impressions and the dedications hint at the nature of the relationships between the characters.
Exhibiting photographers: Esther Born, Jesse Fernandez, W. Feyerabend, Marianne Gast, Nickolas Muray, Edward Weston and unknown photographers.
The pictures in the sixth and final section, Photography, were mostly taken by renowned photographers, including Hungarian artists such as Nickolas Muray, Martin Munkácsi and Brassaï. These images capture unique perspectives on Mexican culture, history and prominent figures, thanks to the distinctive visions of their respective photographers. These photographs had a major influence on Frida Kahlo’s art, and inspired many of her works. There are also a few items of particular interest: four photographs taken and signed by Frida Kahlo and one unsigned picture that is attributed to her.
Exhibiting photographers: Lucienne Bloch, Brassaï, Manuel Álvarez Bravo, Frida Kahlo, Guillermo Kahlo, Tina Modotti, Martin Munkácsi, Man Ray, Pierre Verger, Edward Weston and unknown photographers.
