Frida Kahlo (2020)

 

 
Frida Kahlo (2020)

There should have been a Frida Kahlo year here in The Netherlands. The Drents Museum was to organize this 'Viva la Frida!' exhibition but now it is postponed until Fall 2021. This event however inspired me to make this painting. I made a previous drawing 'Sans titre - 11-10-18' and the challenge in this oil was to scale it up from A4 to 85 x 120 cm and tell more. What to tell then?

I decided to focus on her love for communism, Diego Rivera and the Aztecs. Three controversial topics that ruled her life, next to the initial tragedy, being the bus accident. Frida never backed away from controversy and so did not I. I mean, I love Frida, although her paintings sometimes are a little bit wonky as to techniques whereas others are simply fantastic. The latter keep prying in. your eyes. I often tell my students that it is prefereable to talk about an artist's idea rather than his / her techniques. Frida made up for ideas in abudance.

I used the colors red, green and white, representing the Mexican Flag but employed them in a unsaturated pallet mainly. Only the greens are saturated, being the colors of jade, the middle-american gem stone of the indigenous people.

This is my 'Corona painting' and lo and behold: Did not viruses killed many Aztecs too? Some things intersect in an eery way.

Click here if you want to read further on my website.

Click here if you want to download a printable (hi-res picture you can print and frame) from my website for only € 3.99


Reacties

Populaire posts van deze blog

The Peace Pace at The Hague – 04-02-19

Voorlinden - 03-05-20

Roundism - 07-08-20