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The honesty took me aback. Living in exile made him crave the color, romance and passion of Mexico. Coyoacan is quaint and charming and colorful.
Her love for Diego was epic.Another book about Diego Rivera that depicts the struggle of his first wife Angeline Beloff, also a great artist, is called "House on the Bridge: Ten Turbulent Years with Diego Rivera". Though he married Lupe Marin on his return; Frida was the great passionate love affair of his life. In it one sees his struggle to define himself and realize the importance of Mexico and its culture to him.
When I was a college student 30 years ago I was fortunate enough to live in Coyoacan and visit Frida Kahlo's house a number of times. She fascinated me and I was drawn to her art, her homes and her life with Diego Rivera.Hayden Herrera's book is a well researched and vivid depiction of a life fraught with challenge, triumph, disappointment, courage and eventual surrender. Yes, he had many but she was his match in many ways.
To walk the ancient streets is to enter a dream.Seeing Frida Kahlo's work for the first time was startling. Women were conditioned to keep quiet and not emote at the time and yet she literally bared all.
I have previously read work by Hayden Herrera so this book met my expectations from that perspective. This book is one I have been wanting for awhile, so it was very exciting to finally have a copy. Personally I enjoyed this very much but if you are new to her work then this is an excellent reference book to start with. If you find Frida's story and work intriguing, then this will be something to add to your art book collection. I studied Frida's work whilst at University and have remained an admirer of what she stood for and what she created.This book is firstly a lovely hardcover, with good photos of her work. It includes written reference to her life in Mexico, her family, loves, creativity and sadness.
The photos show a person who is more vital, more dynamic than the iconish character that Kahlo paints. I bought this book after seeing the landmark exhibit at the Philadelphia Museum of Art. The reproductions in this book are excellent and I passed it on to my daughter who, like many women of her generation, finds Kahlo to be a touchstone. I appreciate the usual art history stuff about her biography and influences, but I wish someone had the courage to approach the distortions that made her art. The show included a number of photographs from Kahlo's own albums and from other photographers. What startled me was the difference between the woman we see in the photos and the person Kahlo shows us.
I have several books on Frida Kahlo in fact an earlier version written by the same author, but I felt this addition stands on its own & warrants keeping as there is enough new information, visuals to make it a keeper.
My wife has a bad back as did Frida. My wife and I saw the recent Frida Kahlo exhibit at the Walker in Minneapolis. My wife loved the book, and she was very happy with the gift. The pain in her body comes through in her art, and I think my wife felt a strong connection with Frida. We both thoroughly enjoyed it. I bought the book "Frida Kahlo" on line from Amazon as a gift for my wife.
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