SubscribeA major highlight of my recent break was a trip to Tate Modern for the Frida Kahlo, a must see exhibition that too few people are visiting following the London bombing. When we arrived at Euston at around 11am the city was relatively dead (although the evening rush hour was quite normal). Which is very sad as the chances of anything bad (I include all violent crime in this sweeping statement) happening to you at, or on your way to, any of the Tates are so very small that should you give in to fear, you may as well count your life as over.
Anyway. One hot tip with Kahlo is to hire one of the handheld PCs on offer as they are truly brilliant. They offer short films, commentary and refer to other art and artists throughout and allow you to really explore the art and its context. The only downside – and it’s not really a downer – is that it took us over three hours to get around the gallery, despite the absence pre-7/7 crowds.
Context is so important because Kahlo’s art is so much a product of her politics and does so much to connect those politics with the personal. Despite her focus on the downtrodden and her own battle with a broken and decaying body, you come away with a sense of an ultimately optimistic artist; an artist of vision in every sense. Kahlo’s art doesn’t just portray life’s injustices, but points the way to a world made better.
Frida: Films in 50 words-ish
