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| FRIDA KAHLO: PUBLIC IMAGE, PRIVATE LIFE A SELECTION OF PHOTOGRAPHS AND LETTERS at NMWA July 6, 2007–October 14, 2007 |
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Media Contact: Michelle Cragle 202-783-7373 mcragle@nmwa.org WASHINGTON— Mexican painter Frida Kahlo (1907–1954) has fascinated the public for generations. The National Museum of Women in the Arts presents Frida Kahlo: Public Image, Private Life. A Selection of Photographs and Letters in collaboration with the Smithsonian Latino Center and the Mexican Cultural Institute. The exhibition runs from July 6 through Oct. 14, to coincide with Frida Kahlo’s 100th birthday. Frida Kahlo: Public Image, Private Life. A Selection of Photographs and Letters features well-known photographs of the artist and private archival material to compare the public image of Frida against her private life and to explore how her image and biography informed her work. The exhibition includes the museum’s prized possession, Kahlo’s Self-portrait Dedicated to Leon Trotsky, 25 photographs of Kahlo by various artists, 10 of Kahlo’s unpublished personal letters to family and friends and 12 never-before-seen photographs of Kahlo’s private bathroom at the Casa Azul. “The combination of these materials will provide a stimulating context for exploring the relationship between Frida’s colorful, mexicanista image and the difficult realities of her personal life,” said Jason Stieber NMWA archivist and co-curator of the exhibition. From 1926 until her death, Kahlo created striking, often shocking paintings that reflected her turbulent life. Afflicted with polio at fifteen, she was gravely hurt in a bus accident three years later. She spent more than a year in bed recovering from multiple fractures of her back, collarbone and ribs, as well as a shattered pelvis and shoulder and foot injuries. Despite more than thirty subsequent operations, Kahlo spent the rest of her life in constant pain. At the age of 21 Kahlo met and fell in love with Mexican muralist Diego Rivera. Their stormy, unorthodox relationship coupled with their radical political activism also influenced her work. In her lifetime, Kahlo fashioned a public image of herself, through her self-portraits and commercial photographs. Representing Kahlo’s public image are several iconic photographs of her by some of the most renowned photographers of the 20th century, Lola and Manuel Álvarez Bravo, Imogen Cunningham, Fritz Henle, and Nickolas Muray. The images portray Kahlo as a fashion plate, an animal lover, a passionate painter, and a proud member of the Mexican community. To contrast Kahlo’s private side, visitors can view never-before-seen images of Kahlo’s private restroom at the Casa Azul which were sealed until fifty years after her death. Taken by Mexican photographer Graciela Iturbide, these recently uncovered items document Kahlo’s corsets, medical supplies and apparatuses, and reveal the grim realities which often circumscribed her life. A living legend of Mexican photography in her own right, Iturbide’s work at the Casa Azul was documented by Mexican filmmaker Nicolás Echevarría. The 10 min. video is on view in the same gallery as the photos. In addition, visitors can read personal letters in Kahlo’s own hand from The Nelleke Nix and Marianne Huber Collection: The Frida Kahlo Papers. Donated to the museum at the beginning of the year, these unpublished letters provide insight into Kahlo’s relationship with her mother, the artist’s political views, her medical problems, and her impressions of the United States during some of the most formative years of her remarkable artistic development. To enrich visitors understanding of Frida Kahlo, the National Museum of Women in the Arts is offering multiple screenings per week of Amy Stechler’s documentary, The Life and Times of Frida Kahlo, as well as educational programs focusing on Mexican art, film, music and culture. Frida Kahlo: Public Image, Private Life. A Selection of Photographs and Letters is part of “Mexico at the Smithsonian,” a program series organized by the Smithsonian Latino Center in partnership with the Mexican Cultural Institute and other organizations to highlight different aspects of Mexican and Mexican American culture and heritage, through more than 20 programs—exhibitions, concerts, film screenings and lectures—running from May to December 2007. Support for this exhibition provided by the Mexican Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Mexico Tourism Board and the Mexican National Council for the Arts (CONACULTA). Framing provided Larson-Juhl. Image on front page: Nickolas Muray Frida Kahlo with Idol #11, Coyoacán, Mexico, ca. 1940 Color carbon print Throckmorton Fine Art Photo by Nickolas Muray © Nickolas Muray Photo Archives, Courtesy of Throckmorton Fine Art, New York NMWA at 20 The National Museum of Women in the Arts (NMWA), founded in 1981 and opened in April 1987, is the only museum solely dedicated to celebrating the achievements of women in the visual, performing, and literary arts. The museum contains works by more than 900 artists in its permanent collection, maintains a Library and Research Center, and conducts multidisciplinary programs for diverse audiences. In the past 20 years since its opening the museum has presented more than 200 exhibitions, expanded its permanent collection to include more than 3,600 pieces, and has a membership ranking it in the top ten museums nationally with more than 30,000 members. NMWA is located at 1250 New York Avenue, NW, Washington, D.C., in a landmark building near the White House. It is open Monday–Saturday, 10 a.m.–5 p.m. and Sunday, noon–5 p.m. For information, call 202-783-5000 or visit the museum’s Web site at www.nmwa.org. The Mexican Cultural Institute The Mexican Cultural Institute is the cultural branch of the Mexican Embassy in Washington DC and it is a nonprofit organization dedicated to the promotion of Mexican culture and Mexican traditions in the Unites States. The Smithsonian Latino Center The Smithsonian Latino Center is dedicated to ensuring that Latino contributions to arts, sciences and the humanities are highlighted, understood and advanced through the development and support of public programs, scholarly research, museum collections and educational opportunities at the Smithsonian Institution and its affiliated organizations across the United States.
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|  For images, interviews, and more information, contact Michelle Cragle or media@nmwa.org or call 202.783.7373 |