Frida Kahlo: Images of An Icon

Monday, 01 October 2007 23:28

Tampa, FL - The exhibition features approximately 60 photographic portraits of the Mexican artist Frida Kahlo taken throughout her life. Beginning with childhood and ending with an image of Kahlo on her deathbed, these portraits bring into focus the painter, the patient, the wife, the daughter, the lover, and the friend. Kahlo had a keen understanding of how to craft an image and construct an identity in front of the lens. Viewers will see how some of the photographs mask – as well as reveal – much about the woman who described herself as "la gran ocultadora," the great concealer.

The portraits belong to the collection of Spencer Throckmorton, a specialist in Latin American photographs. His dynamic collection started more than two decades ago and includes more than 100 images of Kahlo, many of them unique. Featured images by such modern masters of photography include those taken by Edward Weston, Imogen Cunningham, Lucienne Bloch, Florence Arquin, and Manuel Alvarez Bravo. Leading photojournalists include Giselle Freund, Bernard Silberstein, and Fritz Henle, as well as Kahlo’s relatives, lovers, and friends, which include Guillermo Kahlo, Nickolas Muray, and Lola Alvarez Bravo. The exhibition is organized by Throckmorton Fine Art, New York.

Tampa Museum of Art provides a broad range of art-related experiences for visitors of all ages. The Museum collection includes 20th century and contemporary art and a renowned collection of Greek and Roman antiquities. A changing special exhibitions program provides a mix of classical and contemporary shows. Classes, lectures, seminars, and children’s activities complement the exhibitions. Established in 1979, Tampa Museum of Art is accredited by the American Association of Museums. Visit : www.tampagov.net