Frida Kahlo
Portraits of an Icon – A Review
Nov 15, 2009 Katherine Kuzma-Beck
Beginning with a portrait of Kahlo as a four-year-old, Frida Kahlo: Portraits of an Icon works its ways through the artist's early life all the way through to her death bed in 1954. One of Mexico's most famous artists, Portraits of an Icon provides glimpses into the artist's extravagant life and relationships, most notably this includes the following:
- Edward Weston, Frida Kahlo – San Francisco, 1930
- Attributed to Manuel Alvarez Bravo, Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera on Deck, 1930
- Martin Munkacsi, Frida and Diego, 1934
- Antonio Kahlo, Frida in Chinese Pajamas, 1948
- Hector Garcia, Frida with her Dog, 1949
- Gisele Freund, Frida Kahlo with Dr. Farill and his Portrait, 1951
- Bernice Kolko, Frida Kahlo with her Friend Teresa Proenza, 1952
- Lola Alvarez Bravo, Frida Kahlo on her Death Bed, Mexico, 1954
This is just a small selection of what can be seen in Margaret Hooks' compilation. She includes works from some of the twentieth century's leading photographer's, such as Imogen Cunningham as well as photojournalists who photographed the artist on assignment for leading publications.
La Gran Ocultadora – The Great Concealer
Kahlo referred to herself as la gran ocultadora or the great concealer. She is a woman with a facade, but what Frida Kahlo: Portraits of an Icon provides is a rare glimpse behind that facade at the intriguing woman who was Frida Kahlo. What is more interesting, is seeing how this facade, this image, was carefully created by the artist herself, almost as if she was a character in one of her own paintings.
Photography Collection
The photograph that Hooks includes in this photography book are from the Spencer Throckmorton collection, a gallerist and specialist in Latin American photographs. Many of the photographs that are included are rare and published here for the first time. The Throckmorton Collection began nearly two decades ago and contains over a hundred photographs of Frida Kahlo. In 2008, the collection was avilable for viewing to the public as a traveling exhibition.
Margaret Hooks
Hooks has years of experience in the field of fine art and documentary photography as both a writer and collector. Her writing has appeared in publications such as ARTnews and Vogue. In addition, she gained much noteriaty for her award-winning biography of the Italian-born photographer, Tina Modetti, who befriended Kahlo, while in Mexico. Hooks' interest in Kahlo began in 1975 when she first visted the Casa Azul. Hooks lives in Mexico and is a authority on Mexican photography.
Frida Kahlo: Portraits of an Icon by Margaret Hooks is available for purchase through Turner Publishing with ISBN 8475065643.
Frida Kahlo: Portraits of an Icon
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