By Jorge Jefferds April 26, 2019
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| Frida Kahlo |
She died at the young age of 47 and she left a legacy of clothing,
furniture, and ornaments besides her amazing artwork.
Mexican artist Frida Kahlo’s unique and
immediately recognizable style was an integral part of her identity. Kahlo came
to define herself through her ethnicity, disability, and politics, all of which
were at the heart of her work. Frida Kahlo: Appearances Can Be Deceiving is the
largest U.S. exhibition in ten years devoted to the iconic painter and the
first in the United States to display a collection of her clothing and other
personal possessions, which were rediscovered and inventoried in 2004 after being
locked away since Kahlo’s death, in 1954. They are displayed alongside
important paintings, drawings, and photographs from the celebrated Jacques and
Natasha Gelman Collection of 20th Century Mexican Art, as well as related
historical film and ephemera. To highlight the collecting interests of Kahlo
and her husband, muralist Diego Rivera, works from our extensive holdings of
Mesoamerican art are also included.
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| Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera |
Kahlo’s personal artifacts—which range from noteworthy examples of Kahlo’s Tehuana clothing, contemporary and pre-Colonial jewelry, and some of the many hand-painted corsets and prosthetics used by the artist during her lifetime—had been stored in the Casa Azul (Blue House), the longtime Mexico City home of Kahlo and Rivera, who had stipulated that their possessions not be disclosed until 15 years after Rivera’s death. The objects shed new light on how Kahlo crafted her appearance and shaped her personal and public identity to reflect her cultural heritage and political beliefs, while also addressing and incorporating her physical disabilities.
"Frida Kahlo: Appearances Can Be Deceiving"
is based on exhibitions at the Frida Kahlo Museum (2012), curated by Circe
Henestrosa; and the V&A London (2018), curated by Claire Wilcox and Circe
Henestrosa, with Gannit Ankori as curatorial advisor. Their continued
participation has been essential to presenting the Brooklyn exhibition, which
is organized by Catherine Morris, Sackler Senior Curator for the Elizabeth A.
Sackler Center for Feminist Art, and Lisa Small, Senior Curator, European Art,
Brooklyn Museum, in collaboration with the Banco de México Diego Rivera and
Frida Kahlo Museums Trust, and The Jacques and Natasha Gelman Collection of 20th
Century Mexican Art and The Vergel Foundation.
According to a recent report in the website
of the Brooklyn Museum, advance tickets are sold out through the close of the
exhibition. Same-day, on-site tickets are timed, offered on a first-come,
first-serve basis, and sell out quickly each day. A limited number of
complimentary, advance Member tickets are still available for Members-only
hours on April 24 and 27 and May 1, 4, 8, and 11, with advance ticket
reservation strongly recommended.
“Frida Kahlo: Appearances can be Deceiving,”
is exhibited in the Brooklyn Museum from February 8 until May 12, 2019. Located
at 200 Eastern Parkway, Brooklyn, NY, 11238, the cultural venue is open Monday through
Friday (call the number 718.638.5000 to confirm their current hours or visit
their webpage www.brooklynmuseum.org).
On-site parking is available in the lot behind the Museum, off Washington Avenue. On Target First Saturdays there's a flat rate of $6 beginning at 5 pm. There is also public transportation that can take you to the location. By clicking the menu Directions in the institution’s home page, you will receive more instructions about it. If you want to ride your bike, park the bicycle at the racks behind the Museum, next to the Sculpture Garden. Consider that they are parked at your own risk; the museum does not take over any responsibility for vandalism or theft.
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