On Saturday, October 17, as part of my upcoming birthday celebration, The Lenster and I drove into the Bronx (NY) to see the NY Botanical Garden FRIDA KAHLO exhibit.
You were NOT ALLOWED to take pictures inside the actual exhibit of her work but the gardens themselves, the tram ride, the magnificent gift shop, the reimagining of her gardens and everything surrounding the exhibit was right out there in all its colorful splendor.
This photograph of Frida was taken by her father Guillermo Kahlo. She was born Magdalena Carmen Frieda Kahlo y Calderón & she wanted to be a photographer herself. That was not to be.
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As you enter the gardens dedicated to her you see all the colors of her life.
She had such a keen appreciation for the beauty and variety of the natural world. She surrounded herself with bright colors, flowers and cactus.
This exhibit will end on November 1st after its limited six-month engagement which also reimagines the iconic artist’s famed garden and studio at the Casa Azul, (The Blue House) her lifelong home in Mexico City.
Kahlo had a volatile marriage with the famous Mexican artist Diego Rivera. She suffered lifelong health problems, many caused by a traffic accident she survived as a teenager. Recovering from her injuries isolated her from other people, and this isolation influenced her works, many of which are self-portraits of one sort or another. Kahlo suggested, "I paint myself because I am so often alone and because I am the subject I know best." She also stated, "I was born a bitch. I was born a painter."
The TWO FRIDAS (below) is one of her most famous oil paintings. It was the first large-scale work done by Kahlo. It is NOT on exhibit at the garden (altho there are copies for sale in the gift shop), I'm adding it as a reference.
Because......., on a second level of the exhibition (you were allowed to take pictures there) you saw an interpretation of this work made entirely of tissue paper on metal framework.
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I must continue to take you on a tour of the grounds because to miss them would be a sin! As soon as you enter with your ticket you see this.
There is always something new to see, smell, and smile about.
Touring the gardens is unbelievable.
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And The Gift Shop was AMAZING !! A great deal of what they had was in honor of her Mexican heritage and the Day of the Dead.
No...No..I was good...I didn't buy it !
No..The Lenster was also good...no aprons came home !! He's just a good sport about taking stupid pictures !!
and lastly my unquenched desire to try on every hat for Halloween just because.....
If you live in the tri-state area, try not to miss it. It's not a very large exhibit but the overall visit to the gardens is just a dream day.