ABOUT THE BOOK It is impossible to separate Frida Kahlo's work from her life. This most autobiographical of artists created a virtual timeline in her paintings that spanned her entire career as an artist. From the time she began painting while recovering from a brutal accident that left her disabled, to her final struggles, shortly before her death, with a body that was literally wired together, Frida Kahlo chronicled her life on canvas. Above the gruesome aspects of her injuries, above the pain and the surgeries, rose a white hot flame of passion and creativity. When Frida Kahlo suffered, she suffered intensely; when she celebrated, her world became a celebration. Because of the intensity of these highs and lows, the visceral effect of Frida Kahlo's work hits you with a virtual punch to the stomach. Before you realize it, you're drawn into her world, captivated by those solemn, staring portraits which, in turn, are scrutinizing you as well. MEET THE AUTHOR Keely Bautista is an experienced writer and a member of the Hyperink Team, which works hard to bring you high-quality, engaging, fun content. Happy reading! EXCERPT FROM THE BOOK During the 1920s, Mexico's most acclaimed painter was the muralist Diego Rivera, whose personal life was as colorful as his paintings. As a celebrity artist, Diego represented the artistic ideal and future of Latin American art to every young painter of the era - including Frida. She had been a fan of his while she was still a young student at the Preparatoria, and she used to sneak out to watch him as he worked. Now, she remembered Rivera, and in 1927, she boldly approached him as he was painting a mural in the Ministry of Education building. She gave him four of her paintings, told him she needed to make a living as an artist, and asked him if she was talented enough to do so. Diego was immediately taken with the originality and technical dexterity of her work, and told that she had a future as a painter. In his distinguished work, Frida: A Biography of Frida Kahlo, Hayden Herrera observes that in this moment, Frida took her first step on the road to becoming one of Mexico's greatest painters. The friendship between Frida and Diego was immediate. Although he was 20 years her senior, famous and a polished artist, he felt a close kinship with her. Their outlook on art, culture and politics was the same; Diego was a popular member of Mexico's Communist Party, a group with which Frida ardently sympathized in those pre-World War II years, when many people viewed Communism as an antidote to the Fascism that was beginning to spread its roots in Europe. Although Diego was a cultured, sophisticated man - he had spent much of his life living in the art world of Paris - he appreciated Frida's earthiness and honesty, combined with her brilliant intelligence. TABLE OF CONTENTS- Introduction- Frida's Early Years- Fame for Frida- Scandal in America- Art's Best-Kept Secret- Personal Life- Recent News- Famous Quotes from Frida- Facts About Frida- Conclusion- Sources- Additional Sources and Further Reading
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