Mini post 1: Kahlo's Feminism

Hanna Gebre-Meskel
Art and Women
Professor Cacioli
Mini post 1
1/17/17

Frida Kahlo is a feminist icon in the visual arts, renowned mostly for her self-portraits. She ignores the male gaze and portrays herself, although surreally, in a completely authentic manner. Her art represents her appearance, perception of self, and mind in an honest way that isn't romanticized, which, as a woman, is revolutionary in itself.

"Henry Ford Hospital" by Frida Kahlo (1932).
Image taken from arthistory.about.com

The above painting, "Henry Ford Hospital", is a prime example of Kahlo's authenticity and feminism in her artwork. This painting is a surreal depiction of her miscarriage. Women's bodily functions are strongly discouraged from being acknowledged publicly even today, much less in 1932, so this graphic image of a miscarriage is a huge step forward in demanding attention be paid to women's bodies in a non-sexual way. Nothing is pretty or sexy about Kahlo's body here: her breasts are naturally moving in opposite directions as a woman's does when she is on her back; her stomach is portruding; her pubic hair is visible; and she is lying in a pool of blood. The depiction of a woman's naked body in a context that is not sexual and is not designed for the male gaze is a very important step forward for feminism.

"The Broken Column" by Frida Kahlo (1944).
Image taken from wikiart.org

Similarly, this self-portrait of Kahlo demands attention to the female body in a non-sexual way. Here, she draws attention to her injury. She depicts herself in a body brace that she had to wear after a car accident, and illustrates the damage caused to her spine in aforementioned accident by portraying the vertebrae as a large iron rod with some cracks. She still looks beautiful and womanly (her figure shapely, her hair neat and long, and even covering her lower half with pink fabric) but she feels broken and will not hide it. A distinction in Kahlo's feminism that I identify with is the empowerment she feels by being as much woman as possible, rather than adopting masculine traits or refuting her femininity.