When I began to know of Frida Kahlo, I was blessed to go and see her showing in St Petersburg, Florida, along with Diego’s collection, and, at first, I was shocked and queasily repulsed at the rawness of her art. But, as I came to know more of her story, I was drawn to her in deep feminine ways of wishing I could be one who could nurture and comfort her. Yes, I would have been her friend.
Her relationships were all stormy. I am sure she drained many with her energy. I was interested, piqued, at the finding that she had an imaginary friend when she was young. I had an imaginary sister when I was young. I am not sur when she left me, but, my brother reminded me of ‘Janine’ a few years ago and suddenly I remembered her. I know why she came, in the first place and will blog about that at a later time. But out of longing/trauma, do they come, typically. Frida’s came when she had polio and her imaginary friend could do all the things that Frida could not: dance, for instance. Perhaps, Frida kept her all her life. There is no way to find out, but at some point her art became very very dark and intense (and passionate) and perhaps she had few moments of personal joy (unique though, those things were) and perhaps that is when she became her imaginary friend. She did draw a sketch, called “Frida and Freida”, about her accident, where a bus handrail through her womb, and she also wrote “The Origins of the Two Fridas, in 1950, Perhaps it was that early sketch when her imaginary friend/self came through.
Frida hid her disabilities, the shorter leg due to polio, the broken body, beneath beautifully colored skirts and her heavy inner burdens, she festooned with braids and flowers…and eyebrows. One of her best adult friends, Dorothea Lange, shared the rollicking gait with Frida, because, she, too, had had polio when she was young. They became fast friends.
Georgia O’Keefe was also her friend. Georgia was 20 years Frida’s senior and they became intimate friends, as most of her friendships did become. Both women were edgy in dress, both were married to older men (artists), both were very ‘out there’ in personality, both were passionate, both fearless. Both had nervous breakdowns. They traveled long distances and to different lands together. They both were very ill at times. O’Keefe, I believe, became Frida’s substitute for her imaginary friend who could do all she could not. There was a strong bond between the two although they were not often able to be tougher.
It has been said that both women became Frida’s lovers. Knowing what I know of creative passions, and the trials and traumas both women went through, it would make sense that such heightened passions would have them be closer than just friends.
I would be her friend, not her lover, as I am drawn to strong women, with strong personalities. Their creative passion would have drawn me in, as well. Their pizzazz, their ‘in your face’ fashion sense, and I would have sat at their knee and watched them paint. I am drawn to such women who have truths they shared out loud and real. (Yes, Anais Nin, as well.) Yes, I’d have been friends would Frida.
©Carol Desjarlais 4.12.20
** this painting barely touches on her reality, but perhaps represents the Freida. You can know it is her by the flowers in her braided hair. It is always easy to see those things that reflect her in paintings of her, no matter how unrealistic a portrait might be. In my painting, her eyebrows her plucked. It Is titled, “Frida’s Friend”.
No comments:
Post a Comment