Frida meets Diego

I have been a longtime fan of Mexican art, but it wasn’t until the late 90’s that a friend was my link to who is now my favorite artist.   During one of my visits to Dallas my friend Rodolfo took me to an exhibit of Diego Rivera (a private collection).  Him (Rivera) I knew and recognized from my love of Mexican art, but his wife… The equally talented Frida Kahlo I had never seen or heard of before!

I immediately became attracted to a passion I see in her paintings.  RAW is the word I use to describe her work. Her life story is impressive; the movie filmed with Salma Hayek did a half decent account of it.

So I had been a fan of Frida for years.  I call myself a “Frida Freak”!  I have even dressed up as Frida for Halloween. Not difficult to understand; little Latin girl attracted to one of Mexico’s most famous artist.  What is hard to believe is that on the day I first stepped foot in my husband’s apartment I found Diego Rivera!

My husband owned a bright red partition with a replica of Rivera’s famous “calla lilies” (embraced by an indigenous woman).  I couldn’t believe it; I also could not believe his large collection of what I call ”critters”. Wooden creatures hand painted in bright colors that are typical folk art from the Oaxaca, Mexico region. 

Wow!  I would have never thought a “white boy” from West Texas would gravitate towards such, but he does!  Our home is decorated in an “interesting” way.  Very “earthy” I like to think, and the “critters” are scattered everywhere!!

The funniest thing of all is that everyone assumes my husband acquired them when he married me, when it’s the opposite.  I joke and say that it was a sign from God/the universe (take a pick) that we were compatible even in the art we like.