Frida Khalo

Today I finally had a "real" day off. I decided to check out the Frida Khalo exhibit at the Walker. It was awesome. I have loved Frida since I was in high school and I learned about her in Spanish class. As a teenager, I was drawn to the bright colors and how she wasn't afraid to expose very personal feelings and emotions with a public audience. Plus, as an angst filled teen, I was drawn to her tragic life. Frida was such a strong woman, too. She really challenged women's roles in the early 20th century. Today seeing those same pictures in person was such a powerful experience. It's hard to explain, but when you look at her paintings you literally see the pain and suffering that she endured. It was amazing. Such beautiful works. I love "Los Dos Fridas" (the two Fridas). It is the biggest painting in the collection and just shows so much of her pain. I liked that there were some of her lesser known works like her still lifes and small self-portraits.

The only downside was not the paintings themselves, but the screaming children that were there. I purposely went early (11:30-ish) so I didn't have to deal with the crowds. I am sort of snobbish with my appreciation of art. I like it when it's quiet and not so crowded, so I can spend as much time as I want taking in a painting. It wasn't that crowded, but the moms were there with their screaming kids. I totally understand why, too. Two and three years olds don't have the patience for something like that. At least no one was yelling into a cell phone or being too disrespectful.

Anyways, this exhibit is worth checking out. It runs until January 20th.