My Interview with Frida

Recording

Reportor: Good day to my ladies and gentlemen! This is Peak Deng, you are listening to my podcast about Frida Kahlo. An exclusive interview with our famous painter, just before she died. Magdalena Carmen Frida Kahlo y Calderon was born in Coyoacan, Mexico July 6th, 1907, one of four daughters born to a Hungarian-Jewish father, Guillermo Kahlo and a mother of Spanish and Mexican Indian descent, Matilde Calderon y Gonzalez. Frida did not originally plan to work as a painter and chose to devote her life to medical sciences. She entered a pre-med program in Mexico City since after surviving polio. Good Morning Mrs Rivera, would you kindly tell us about your struggle through that terrible disease?

Frida: hola! ¡Oh sí! ¡I waz seises entonces cuando cogí la poliomielitis terrible! Es una enfermedad que afecta el braine y la espina dorsal y puede conducir a la parálisis parcial o total Aunque sobreviví, mi recuperación era larga y difícil. Tuve que permanecer en mi sitio por nueve meses y todavía conseguí una pierna derecha marchitada.

Reportor: Er… okay basically she just meant (hello! Oh yes! I was six then when I had the terrible polio! It is a disease that affects the brain and the spine and can lead to partial or total paralysis Although I survived, my recovery was long and difficult. I had to remain in my room for nine months and still I obtained a withered right leg.) and also she wore loads of socks,men’s suits or flambuoyant peasant costumes with long skirts to cover her leg and played boyish sports like football, boxing, swimming & wrestling. ( OK she didn’t say the clothes part but I read about it in a book called Artists in their world—Frida Kahlo) Excuse me Mrs Rivera, but would mind if you speak in English? It did be more easier for us to understand you see.I heard you could read and speak English, Spanish and German?

Frida: Oh! I am terribly sorry! I thought you were recording for ze Spanish as I waz told earlier there waz a Spanish reporter coming.

Reportor: Anyway back to the story. Mrs Rivera I believed you had a hard life but why?

Frida: (crying) That… I suffered two grave accidents in my life…One in which a streetcar knocked me down and the other was Diego. At the age of 18, I waz seriously injured in a bus accident. I was on my way home with my boyfriend Aljandro Gomez Arias, when we were hit by a large tram. The arms of the seat went through me like a sword into a bull. I spent over a year in bed recovering from fractures to my spine, collarbone and ze ribs, a shattered pelvis, and shoulder and foot injuries. I endured more than 30 operations in my lifetime, and during my convalescence I began to paint. From that time, my obsession was to begin again, painting things just as I saw them with my own eyes and nothing more to combat the boredom and pain. I felt I still had enough energy to do something other than studying to become a doctor. Without giving it any particular thought, I started painting. Thus, as the accident changed my path, many things prevented me from fulfilling my desires which everyone considers normal than to paint what had not been fulfilled. My paintings, mostly self-portraits and still life, were deliberately naïve, and filled with the colors and forms of Mexican folk art. My mother asked a carpenter to make me an easel, if that’s what you can call the special apparatus which could be fixed onto my bed, because th plaster cast didn’t allow me to sit up. In spite of my long illness, I feel immense joy in living.

At 22, I married my Diego, 20 years my senior. Our stormy, passionate relationship survived infidelities, the pressures of careers, divorce, remarriage, my lesbian affairs, my poor health and my inability to have children. *sob* *sob* Never mind that man, he had an affair with another woman. I waz insignificant to him I suppose at that time of betrayal. In that period I dressed like a boy with shaved hair, pants and boots and a leather jacket. But when I went to see Diego I put on Tehuana costume. However he repented and I am so happy to have him back. Anyway, I think you did be interested about my childhood years with my family?


Reporter: Yes! Yes! Go on! Go on! I am sure my listeners did be interested!


Frida: It was with great difficulty that a livelihood was earned in my house. Daddy was commissioned to photograph the country’s most important pre-columbian and colonial architectural sites by the ruler of Mexico, Porfirio Diaz. But in 1910 the Mexican Revolution put an end to Mr Diaz rule and Daddy was stripped of his job. After so, work was difficult to come by and my family struggled to survive. Oh yah! And my schooldays, I missed loads due to polio but thank God I had a photographic memory and only had to read a book once to remember everything. I also found languages easy to learn. After Primary school I went to Escula Nacional Preparatoria, the best secondary school in Mexico. There I was only 1 of 35 girls among 2000 boys. There I decided to become a doctor. Hahas I also remembered Aljandro was the leader of us Cachuchas! Oh! Funny was it when we let of fire crackers and those hilarious pranks hahas.


Reporter: Oh I see…Then would you bother to tell us about your days as a communist?


Frida: The Mexican Revolution occurred just three years after I was born, It was a development that triggered dramatic social and economic change in Mexico. A new sense of nationalism surged throughout Mexico as the people rejected Dictator Porfirio Diaz and his policies, and a renaissance of cultural renewal glorifying Mexico's native roots took place. The Mexican muralist tradition grew out of these changes and proved to be an enduring method of expressing national pride. I was an enthusiastic participant in the social, economic and political landscape that characterized that life. Reporter: What about your days in New York? Frida: (In anger) High society here turns me off and I feel a bit of rage against all these rich guys here , since I have seen thousands of people in the most terrible misery without anything to eat and with no place to sleep. I hated the huge gap between the rich and poor! Don’t remind me of it although it did make sense to go there, because it opened my eyes and I had seen an enormous number of new and beautiful things.


Reporter: All right then would you care to tell us about your paintings?


Frida: Hmm… Let me think…200 paintings, drawings and sketches related to my experiences in life, physical and emotional pain and my turbulent relationship with Diego. I produced 143 paintings, 55 of which are self-portraits. Reporter: But why did you paint so many self-portraits? Frida: Because I am so often alone, because I am the person I know best. *sigh* I feel uneasy about my painting. Above all I want to transform it into something useful for the Communist revolutionary movement. The only real reason for living.


Reporter: All right. Thank you very much Mrs Rivera! See You!


Frida: ¡Usted es agradable! ¡Adiós!

Conclusion

I decided to write about Frida Kahlo because I found her with a rather unique personality, a lady with great talents and abilities.Unfortunately, she was brought up motherless and went through much hardship in her life. She denies what people claim her to be, for example a surrealist. She is a very patriotic person and is very strong. She has an extremely strong will to live and fight her obstacles although she fell to drugs, drinking and smoking.Frida Kahlo was a painter whose work fascinated prominent and diverse artists around the world. Sehe is one who seem to live in two dimensions of her life, painting what she is unable to fulfill and making people understand how she felt.

I think that we should learn from her, her good personalities and apply in life so as we would not be too vulnerable to giving up. We should be like her and the Malay Regiment in World WarII fight for our rights and do not give up easily.

(I apologise if my article is too long but there is alot to talk about her)

ByeBye!!

websites about Frida

• http://www.fridakahlofans.com
• http://www.fridakahlofans.com/biobrief.html
• http://www.fridakahlo.it/
• http://www.lasmujeres.com/fridakahlo/life.shtml

More Pictures

ღღღAHSTimes--Issue 5ღღღ

* * *

Year
Año Title (English)
(Espanol)
1925 Still Life (Roses)
Naturaleza Muerta (Rosas)



1926 Self Portrait in a
Velvet Dress
Autorretrato con Traje
de Terciopelo



1927 La Adelita, Pancho Villa
and Frida
La Adelita, Pancho Villa
y Frida



1927 If Adelita... or
The Peaked Caps
Si Adelita... o
Los Cachuchas



1927 Portrait of
Miquel N. Lira
Retrato de
Miquel N. Lira



1927 Portrait of
Adriana
Retrato de
Adriana



1927 Portrait of
Alicia Galant
Retrato de
Alicia Galant



1928 Portrait of
Alejandro Gómez Arias
Retrato de
Alejandro Gómez Arias



1928 Portrait of Cristina,
My Sister
Retrato de Cristina,
Mi Hermana



1929 Portrait of
Isolda Pinedo Kahlo
Retrato de
Isolda Pinedo Kahlo



1929 Portrait of
Lupe Marín
Retrato de
Lupe Marín



1929 Portrait of
Virginia (Little Girl)
Retrato de
Virginia (Niña)



1929 Self Portrait -
Time Flies
Autorretrato -
El Tiempo Vuela



1929 The Bus
El Camion



1929 Two Women
Dos Mujeres



1930 Portrait of a
Woman in White
Retrato de una
Mujer de Blanco



1930 Self Portrait
Autorretrato



1931 Display Window in a
Street in Detroit
Aparado en una
Calle de Detroit



1931 Frieda and Diego Rivera
Frieda y Diego Rivera



1931 Portrait of
Dr. Leo Eloesser
Retrato de
Dr. Leo Eloesser



1931 Portrait of
Eva Frederick
Retrato de
Eva Frederick



1931 Portrait of
Luther Burbank
Retrato de
Luther Burbank



1931 Portrait of
Mrs. Jean Wight
Retrato de
Sra. Jean Wight



1932 Henry Ford Hospital
Henry Ford Hospital



1932 My Birth
Mi Nacimiento




1932 Self Portrait on the Boarder
of Mexico and The United States
Autorretrato en la Frontera Entre Mexico y los Estados Unidos



1933 My Dress Hangs There
Alla Cuelga Mi Vestido



1933 Self Portrait with Necklace
Autorretrato con Collar



1934 Self Portrait with Curly Hair
Autorretrato con Pelo Rizado



1935 A Few Small Nips
Unos Cuantos Piquetitos



1936 My Grandparents,
My Parents and Me
Mis Abuelos,
Mis Padres y Yo



1937 Fulang-Chang and I
Fulang-Chang y Yo



1937 Me and My Doll
Yo y Mi Muñeca



1937 Memory
Recuerdo



1937 My Nurse and I
Mi Nana y Yo



1937 Portrait of Diego Rivera
Retrato de Diego Rivera



1937 Self-Portrait Dedicated to
Leon Trotsky
Autorretrato Dedicado a
Leon Trotski



1937 The Deceased Dimas
El Difuntito Dimas




1938 Four Inhabitants of
Mexico City
Cuatro Habitantes de la
Ciudad de Mexico



1938 Fruits of the Earth
Frutos de la Tierra



1938 Girl with Death Mask
Niña con Mascara de Meurte



1938 Pitahayas
Pitahayas



1938 Remembrance of the
Open Wound
Recuerdo de la
herida abierta



1938 Self Portrait - The Frame
Autorretrato - The Frame



1938 Self Portrait with a Monkey
Autorretrato con un Mono



1938 Self-Portrait with
Itzcuintli Dog
Perro Itzcuintli Conmigo



1938 The Suicide of Dorothy Hale
El suicidio de Dorothy Hale



1938 They Asked for Planes
But Were Given Straw Wings
Piden aeroplanos y les dan alas de petate



1938 What the Water Gave Me
Lo Que el Agua Me Dio



1938 When I Have You, Life,
How Much I Love You
Cuando te Tengo a ti Vida,
Cuanto te Quiero



1939 The Two Fridas
Las Dos Fridas



1939 Two Nudes in the Forest
Dos Desnudos en un Bosque



1940 Retablo
Retablo



1940 Self Portrait Dedicated to
Sigmund Firestone
Autorretrato Dedicado al
Sigmund Firestone



1940 Self Portrait with
Cropped Hair
Autorretrato con
Pelo Corto



1940 Self Portrait with Monkey
Autorretrato con Mono



1940 Self Portrait with Necklace
of Thorns
Autorretrato con Collar
de Espinas



1940 Self Portrait Dedicated
to Dr. Eloesser
Autorretrato Dedicado al
Dr. Eloesser



1940 The Dream (The Bed)
El Sueño (La Cama)



1940 The Wounded Table
La Mesa Herida



1941 Flower Basket
Cesta con Flores



1941 Me and My Parrots
Yo y Mis Pericos



1941 Self Portrait with Bonito
Autorretrato con Bonito



1941 Self Portrait with Braid
Autorretrato con Trenza



1942 Self Portrait with Monkey
and Parrot
Autorretrato con Mono
y Perico



1942 Still Life (Round)
Naturaleza Muerta (Tondo)



The rest of the paintings which I refuse to continue copying and pasting, I encourage my blog readers to visit Frida’s fan club web page. Enjoy yourself!

ღღღAHSTimes--Issue 4ღღღ

Frida and her life barriers and how she became an artist.



"I suffered two grave accidents in my life...One in which a streetcar knockd me down and the other was Diego."



At the age of 18, Frida was seriously injured in a bus accident.She was on her way home with Aljandro,when they were hit by a large tram. "The arms of theseat went through me like a sword into a bull." said Frida when she recalled the accident.Frida spent over a year in bed recovering from fractures to her spine, collarboneand the ribs,a shattered pelvis, shoulder and foot injuries. Frida also endured more than 30 operations in her lifetime, and during her convalescence. From that time, her obsession was to begin again, "painting things just as I saw them with my own eyes and nothing more to combat the boredom and pain.I felt I still had enough energy to do something other than studying to become a doctor. Without giving it any particular thought, I started painting." Thus, as the accident changed her path, many things prevented her from fulfilling her desires which everyone considers normal than to paint what had not been fulfilled.



At 22,she married Diego,20 years her senior.Their stormy, passionate,relationship survived infidelities, the pressures of careers, divorce, remarriage,lesbian affairs,poor health,and inability to have children.She felt insgnificant to Diego and was deeply betrayed by him having an affair with her sister and was in sorrow's trench then.She cut her hair short and dressed like a boy then but wore Tehuana costumes when she went to see him.Frida loved Diego extremely.Her great spiritual attack caused her to feel even more alone and confined herself very often, painting self-portraits that were usually one-eyebrowed, long necked, full lipped.


However after they divorced, Diego repented and fell for Frida again after spending longer time with each other and felt that they could nt live without each other.They remarried.She at times lived in two different worlds and was torn between her love for Diego and the love for her native Mexico.

Frida was unable to give birth and had three miscarriages. She was so upset that she painted many pictures of her birth and her mother's death, "Frida's family" and was filled with fetuses and birth processes.Frida was left childless and often turned to her pets and dolls for comfort during times of despair and loneliness. She smoked, she drank, at parties she often used foul language to shock her friends and was not above "stretching" the truth to embellish the stories she told.

There are two 1954 paintings that bear witness to the devastating affect the drugs had on her paintings. It is difficult to look at those blurred smeared blotches of paint on canvas knowing that she was once a master of detail. One look at those paintings and it was obvious that she was being robbed of her talent. One can only imagine the emotional pain and frustration Frida must have felt when she too looked at these paintings. It was not uncommon for Frida to destroy a painting that she didn't like. She may have wanted to destroy these two crudely executed paintings but they were both probably spared because they were politically related.

(next issue --exclusive Frida art pictures and other info from other websites)

ღღღAHSTimes--Issue 3ღღღ

Mexico Revolutionary and Frida--

In 1910, Mexico went into revolution after 34 long years under dictator Porfirio Diaz. The revolution was also the cause of the civil war which lasted 10 chaotic years. Frida was born on 6th July 1907 and her father worked for Porfirio Diaz. So, why was she all for the revolution later in her life? Why did she even lie that she was born in the year of revolution instead of the rightful year 1907? Why was she such an active communist? The reason is indeed rather simple.

Mexico had been ruled by various ancient and sophiscated civilisations, for example the Mayans,the Toltecs and the Aztecs. The Aztecs ruled over Mexico and controlled most of it since AD 1200 and were the rulers during the Spanish arrival in 1959. The Spanish force was led by the brutal Hernan Cortes (1485-1547), he was a soldier and explorer, sent by Spanish Monarchy to conquer Mexico. Cortes killed 10,000 of the Aztec's emperor, Montezuma's, men and took him as prisoner and kept Mexico under Spanishrule for the next three centuries.

However, in 1810 Mexico gained independence from Spanish, but it was poor. Many countries, two of which was USA and Great Britain, used Mexico as a source of cheap labour and natrual resources (e.g. oil) Natrually, the Mexicans grew tired of the interference from other countries and including Porfirio Diaz's government method which was slow to make social changes, similar to Singapore's The Singapore Progressive Party . They believed in working towards self-government at a slow and steady pace as there were not enough educated peoplefor a new government and there were more pressing matters at that time like housing and unemployment after World War II. The S.P.P worked closely with the British which the people wish to break free from. Most importantly, they, S.P.P and Diaz do not fully understand what the people want.

As for the reason why Frida lied, she wanted to make the point that she considered herself reborn when the 'true' Mexico began to take shape. Due to all that Mexico had been through, patriotic Frida thought that she should help stand up for her homeland. Frida also tried her best to portray her support to the revolution in her paintings.


First Love

Aljandro Gomez Arias

• Leader of Cachuhas in school
• In accident was thrown under the tram
• Given Frida's first proper painting "Frida in a Velvet Dress"

(More to be seen in Issue 4)

ღღღAHSTimes--Issue 2ღღღ

Frida Kahlo

A famous artist and an active communist, during the years of Communism,Frida Kahlo did not live a very peaceful life. Instead, her life was greatly disturbed by various troubles.She was truly an international child who is a product of the melting pot of Mexican society.

Kahlo was born to a German national father Guillermo Kahlo, whomemigrated to Mexico in 1891 when he was 19 and Matilde Calderon y Gonzalez both of which are mixed blood and Hungarian Jews,although her mother was descended from Indian and Spanish blood.

Frida's father was a suscessful architectural photographer and an amateur artist who was commissioned tophotograph Mexico City's most important pre-Columbian and colonial architectural sites by the ruler,Porfirio Diaz. However when Diaz's rule fell to the 1910 Mexican Revolution, Guillermo was suddenly out of job. Work was difficult to come by then and he struggled to feed the family. "It was with great difficulty that a livelihood was earned in my house." said Frida during the interview. Guillermo was also an encouraging father who loved Frida dearly more than his other three.

At the age of six,Frida caught a dangerous disease called Polio, a disease which affects the brain and spine and can lead to partial or total paralysis. Fortunately, she survived after nine long months of confinement in her room at the Blue House, which was built in Coayoacaan for Guillermo's growing family. Still, Frida's right leg was withered and thin as a result of the disease. Despite of Frida's deformed leg, Guillermo encouraged her to play boyish sports like swimming, soccer, boxing and wrestling, those games were not played by girls during that time in Mexico. All those time,Frida wore 3-4 pairs of socks and a shoe with built up heel and sole to cover her legs but later in life she wore men's suit or flambuoyant peasant costumes with long skirts.

Polio took away alot of Friida's education but thankfullly for her excellent photographic memory, Frida just had to read a book once to remember everything. In fact, she found it easy to learn languages and could read and speak English, Spanish and German.
She was then enrolled into Escula Nacional Preparatoria, the best secondary school in Mexico, there she decided her ambition as a doctor.

ღღღAHSTimes--Issue 1ღღღ

Who was this Frida Kahlo?



Profile:

• Birthdate: 6 July 1907

• Born Magdalena Carmen Frida Kahlo y Calderon (originally named Frieda Kahlo)
  

• Was one of four daughters born to Hungarian-Jewish father & a mother of Spanish and Mexican Indian descent.

• Mother:Matilde Calderon y Gonzalez

• Father:Guillermmo Kahlo

• Mexican nationalist, Communist

• Married to Diego Rivera(1886-1957)--muralist

• JOB: painter

What kind of person is she like?

• A witty friend
• Inspiring teacher
• Has a strong will to live
• Believe in equality among men and women
• Not much of a smiler
• Strong determination

(one might as well call her a born Gryffindor)

Introduction

Hi everyone! Especially my davling new Eeenglish 'eacher! a.k.a Chieev Editov ...
Dis ez zee Eeenglish blog dat zu vanted...vell heere I go...

(teehee...jk! translation can be found below)

Hi everyone! Especially my darling new English teacher!also known as Chief Editor
This is the English blog that you wanted. Well here I go.