Thursday, March 24, 2005

¡Viva Frida Kahlo!



As Terri Schiavo slowly goes, those of us still living must continue to face all of life's challenges up ahead. I'm in a very contemplative state as of late and the sooner I can get my computer the less philosophical and existentialist I will be! HEEHEE!

Last night, I had the fortune of watching PBS' The Life and Times of Frida Kahlo. I've definitely heard of this magnificent woman before (the movie with Salma Hayek is pretty good), but never had I connected with her as much as I did watching the special. A passionate soul she was, full of so much life, wonderful artistic expression, and so much tragedy.

The great love of her life was another Mexican genius, muralist Diego Rivera. A fat ugly womanizing pig, they did share a great love, but not without lots of infidelity. Her nearly fatal bus accident at 16 left her almost crippled but still in horrible pain for the rest of her life. She learned from Diego that women too could cheat and she did do it often with many men and other women as well! She travelled to the U.S. with Diego and even to Paris on her own having successful art gallery shows of her celebrated paintings.

At the very end of her life, as the pain of her body was too much to bear, she painted one final work of art, which not only sums up her love of life despite all its pain, but speaks volumes of how all of us cling to this incredible journey. Sandías (Watermelons) is the name of her last piece with the profound words, Viva La Vida (Long Live Life).

How sweet indeed.

http://www.pbs.org/weta/fridakahlo/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frida_Kahlo

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