Visiting Frida in Sydney

Lucky me, I got to ‘visit Frida’ last September. By which I mean: I went to see the touring Frida Kahlo and Diego Riviera exhibition in Sydney. It felt like a bit of a pilgrimage. Though comparatively close in global terms, the exhibition was interstate from where I live.

Header image for "Visiting Frida in Sydney" blog post featuring Tangerine Meg posing in front of a big photographic mural of Frida Kahlo in her studio.This is Michele (who is the brains and talent behind Mosaic Art Australia) and me at the mosaic floor at the grand entrance of the Art Gallery of New South Wales. I wish I’d had brighter or more interesting shoes on, but I had just this one pair of comfy walking shoes (Keens) for the trip! Happily Michele had red mary janes which were perfect. Feet standing on mosaic floor. The floor has small tiles making a curved repeated pattern and featuring an artist's palette surrounded by an olive branch design.This picture of me (taken by Karen I think) in front of the exhibition entry Frida studio photo mural makes me happy. Imagine being anywhere near Frida’s studio, even if symbolically. #ifihadatardis

Tangerine Meg posing smiling in blue shirt in front of black and white photo mural of Frida Kahlo in her studio.The first main picture on glowing orange wall. Good call, art gallery!

How wonderful to be in the same room as paintings which I’d seen for years in books and on the internet. It’s hard to describe the feeling. Amazed? Impressed? Delighted? Perhaps a combination of those… Am-press-light-ed?

Backs of people viewing Frida Kahlo painting on orange wall.What a classic. Self portrait. Monkeys. Red wall. So rich and lovely to see in person. So much to bathe in.

Frida Kahlo self portrait with monkeys, framed in gold and hanging on deep red wallIn this exhibition you were allowed to take photos but not use a flash. In the interests of perfection-in-imperfection, I’ve kept these pics of the art, photos, quotes etc as per the reality of my phone photography. Think of it as though you were beside me and I took wonky phone photos as we walked through! If you want ‘perfect’ flat, colour-corrected versions you can easily find them on line (see below).

As well and loving being in the same room as the originals that Frida Kahlo had painted, I liked learning more about the many photos that were taken of her. There were many different photographers, starting with her father (who tooks pictures as his professional). Here are some Frida pictures from when she was little.

This ^^ is the whole studio pic that the exhibition organisers blew up for the entrance mural. Thank goodness the term ‘decluttering’ hadn’t been coined yet, Kahlo’s space would’ve been way less interesting!

The organisers featured a bunch of quotes from Frida …

Photographs of frida kahlo quotes from 2016 exhibition at Art Gallery of NSW… and Diego (her husband) and others, including Bravo (one of the many photographers).

I found it fascinating that Frida was one of the first to craft an image – a look, a brand – and that she was aware of this. She hopefully would be pleased with the iconic nature of her images that are around these days.

There were translations of a few letters Frida had received and written, which revealed how loving a wife, sister and daughter she was. They were fun to read. I don’t have pictures of them.

Iconic and beautiful, right?

I keep being reminded how proud, smart and graceful Frida was. My heart breaks that she lived with so much pain and died quite young. Didn’t she work hard and leave an amazing legacy?

I hope you’ve enjoyed this personal account of a ‘visit to Frida’. One day, maybe we can go see her blue house museum in Mexico!

Have you seen the movie of Frida Kahlo’s life in which she’s is played by Selma Hayek? (Adults)

Here are me, Michele and Karen McSwan Silsby outside the Art Gallery. We’d all travelled from different states to meet up at the event. Most of us hadn’t met in person before, but it was very much a #kindredspirit situation. #oldfriendswhovejustmet

3 Smiling Women outside the Art Gallery of New South WalesBe of good cheer dearheart, for alonside the darkness and buffoonery beauty still exists and needs to be seen – and felt. Our good hearts need to keep being filled to keep our hope and strength up for the tasks to come.

Love Meg x o

PS  Like Frida images? Check out this Fantastique Frida Pinterest board that I sometimes contribute to.

PS2 Like reminders about being a Bold Woman? Click this to grab a 2017 bold art calendar – there are still a few left!

PS3 Remember when I dressed up as Frida, and did my own lino print of a health issue?

photo of Tangerine Meg smiling standing in front of big black and white photographic mural of Frida Kahlo in her art studio

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