Maggie May recently posted this image of artist Frida Kahlo. I had never seen this photo of her before. She looks so badass. I'm adopting her as my stand-in for today. Thank you all for the kind comments left on recent posts. I appreciate you more than you can imagine.
Interesting Update:
The inimitable Kristin did some research and has discovered that the above photo of Frida Kahlo is a photoshopped fabrication, which explains why I had never seen it because I sure have scoured for images of the extraordinary and complicated Frida. In fact, now that I look more closely, the famous Imogen Cunningham image of Frida could be the very one from which the head of the fake was taken. Apparently experts knew at once that gun-toting Frida was not the real deal, because such an image would certainly have come to light before now. If you want to learn more, Kristin provides a link in the comments section.
Can she be my avatar as well? The older I get, the more I adore her.
ReplyDeleteoh please join the party, dear mary moon.
DeleteThis might be one instance where a gun excites me.
ReplyDeleteelizabeth, haha, me too.
DeleteI have such a romance with her- in part because of her enormously dysfunctional relationship with her husband, she is so brilliant, so strong, so brave, and yet so flawed. so human!
ReplyDeleteMaggie May, she is all that. I have totally romanticized her, even though I know her life was not easy. Thank you for this image!
Deleteshe is a great avatar. if she can do it, you can too.
ReplyDeleteCandice, exactly!
DeleteI love this! Pearl would too. She is a real fan.
ReplyDeleteKristin, i think Frida just might be the patron saint of artists, all kinds.
DeleteI just googled this image and found an article that says it's photoshoped. Still a great image. http://www.newstaco.com/2012/07/19/fake-nude-frida-a-photographers-playful-creation/
ReplyDeleteThanks for the update! I have added this information to the post. I think it's important for people to know what's real and what's not. I'm not surprised because i felt sure I would have happened across such a potent image of Frida by now.
DeleteGreat photo! I think she really was a badass, too. In a good way.
ReplyDeleteSteve, she is my hero.
DeleteWell, isn't that what art is all about? To excite us viscerally, either in a pleasant or unpleasant way? Frankly, I don't know shit. But I have to think that no matter what else the artist did, Frida herself may have loved that image.
ReplyDeleteMs. Moon, you're absolutely right. In fact, I went back and deleted my opinions about the artist's other work because I realized, reading your comment, it's totally off topic. Thanks, as always.
DeleteInteresting. I'm glad to have the rest of the story -- it's important to make sure people understand whether they're looking at a real historic image or a modern fabrication. But at the same time, I still love the pic, and I agree with the artist that it's "a positive and fairly honest image of Frida." Like Ms. Moon said, Frida herself probably would have loved it.
ReplyDeleteSteve, perfectly expressed. I totally agree. Thank you.
DeleteI knew it was photoshopped but I didn't give a good goddamn. Like others here Frida was and is a saint especially for artists. I agree with Mary that Frida herself would have loved the image. I do. Thank you Angella!
ReplyDeletexor
She just haunts me lately. She was in so much pain, but lived so wildly and unchained.
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