Frida Kahlo: Love, Pain, and Painting
Jane Oneail holds a master’s in Art History from Boston University and a master’s in Education from Harvard University, and currently lectures at Southern New Hampshire University. Born and raised in New Hampshire, she has served as Executive Director for the League of New Hampshire Craftsmen, and Senior Educator at the Currier Museum of Art. Oneail is the founder of Culturally Curious: an arts education consulting firm specializing in art appreciation programs.
Overview
Frida Kahlo has become a household name in recent years with movies, books and countless products dedicated to her art and likeness. In this program, art historian Jane Oneail will take you beyond the artist’s famous facial hair and penetrating stare to explore her biography and her artwork. She will delve into the devastating trolley accident Kahlo survived as a teen and its decades-long impact on her health, as well as her intensely passionate–and often tumultuous–marriage to celebrated muralist and fellow artist, Diego Rivera.
Recommended Reading:
The Diary of Frida Kahlo: An Intimate Self-Portrait, by Carlos Fuentes.
Frida Kahlo: The Paintings, by Hayden Herrera
Frida Kahlo: Making Herself Up, by Claire Wilcox
Discussion Questions:
1. How does Frida Kahlo link her depictions of pain with her gender fluidity? Does a masculine or feminine presentation change the way you understand the pain?
2. How does Frida Kahlo express her affection for and connection to things in her artwork?
3. Why do you think Frida Kahlo often represents herself as two distinct individuals in the same canvas?