Frida Kahlo: An Open Life

by Raquel Tibol

Frida Kahlo is probably the most idolized artist of her time. At the root of the scholarly speculation and pop-culture paraphernalia lies Frida An Open Life, first published in Mexico in 1983 and now available in an English-language paperback for the first time. This irreplaceable, eclectic collection reveals the complexities, profound sadness, and immutable creative spirit of the famed Mexican painter. The intimate picture of the often enigmatic Kahlo presented in this book has become an invaluable source for scholars. The author, a prominent Mexican art critic and historian, befriended Diego Rivera, Kahlo's husband, in Chile and in 1953 came with him to Mexico City, where she met and interviewed Frida Kahlo a year before Kahlo's death. She lived with Kahlo for a while in Coyoacón in Mexico City and then for a time at Rivera's San Angel Inn home. Frida An Open Life uses medical records, journals, letters, interviews, and personal recollections to bring us closer than ever to the Mexican artist and her milieu.

Genres: Art, Biography, Nonfiction, Art History

242 pages, Paperback

First published June 1, 1999

About the author

Raquel Tibol (Basavilbaso, Entre Ríos, Argentina- 14 de diciembre de 19231 - Ciudad de México, México, 22 de febrero de 20152 ) fue una crítica e historiadora del arte mexicano, prolífica promotora y cronista cultural, periodista y conductora de programas de televisión como en La Plática y la Crítica y Aproximaciones, ambos del Canal 11 de la televisión cultural mexicana. Radicaba en México desde 1953, y se nacionalizó mexicana en 1961. Fue distinguida con el Premio de Periodismo Cultural Fernando Benítez (1998); la Medalla de Oro de Bellas Artes y el Doctorado Honoris Causa por la Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana. En 2010, el Instituto Nacional de Migración la incluye en el libro “200 Mexicanos que nos Heredó el Mundo” al considerarla como una de las 200 personas más brillantes que habiendo nacido en un país extranjero hayan dado tanto México.

Reviews

[Minaa]

Haar brieven zijn zo mooi en eerlijk 💝 Frida heeft een speciaal plekje in mijn leven en haar biografie heeft mij de ambities gegeven die ik ervoor niet had. Loved the book, loved the rawness, honesty, vulnerability and frida herself

[Hermien]

I learned a bit more about Frida and about art in general. Very enjoyable.

[Jeaninne Escallier]

I have read most reputable books on the life of Frida Kahlo for the past 20 years; this one ranks up there with the best. It is obvious that Raquel Tibol, journalist turned friend, knew Frida intimately in the last years of Frida's life. Raquel deftly brings in all aspects of Frida's joy and suffering through the trajectory of her fabulous life. However, her journalistic eye is evident with the adjoining essays she weaves throughout this tome regarding the politics and art of the early to middle 20th century in Mexico, furthering our understanding of how Frida's art came to be.

There is something about Raquel's intelligent eye that made me feel every aspect of what knowing Frida must have been. She doesn't present her as someone famous, alluring, untouchable. We get to know Frida as the loving wife, daughter and friend she truly was without ever losing touch with her individual, indomitable spirit. That spirit that drove her to paint, live and celebrate through all her suffering. Frida was certainly a physically fragile human being due to the horrific trolley car and bus accident that mangled her tiny body at age 18; however, her heredity and family guided her with a super human strength of character to explode like a star in the art world before her atrophying body could no longer contain her.

In this account of Frida, the reader is privy to Frida as a person from someone who loved her dearly, as well as being gifted an historical background of the times in which she lived. I can't think of a better way to honor someone dear to so many. If you follow Frida's life and art, you must read this book.

[Anne]

The primary source material -Kahlo's letters and diaries, art reviews of the day, etc.- is great.
The translation is clunky: "retrogression"? oh please. The author is so immersed in the politics of the Mexican art scene and in defending her points of view that it detracts from the real subject.

[sarah]

It was okay. I was expecting more of a focus on Frida's artwork & diary entries, but the entire middle section about the politics of surrealist art bored me. Don't care. I just want to read a translated version of her words, not someone else's.

[Antonia Godoy Arias]

raquel tibol conoció a frida y trabajó con diego, por lo que su perspectiva me parece que añade mucho y sobresale de otros escritos. no fue hace mucho que comencé a sentir interés particular por su obra y su vida, lo que buscaba inicialmente era adentrarme en el muralismo y la revolución mexicana, pero en este primer acercamiento (reencuentro más bien) al arte mexicano la figura de frida logró capturarme. su resiliencia, esa capacidad de abrirse visceralmente al mundo, creo que al fin la comprendo y la admiro. solo puedo decir que el libro es más o menos breve y queda mucho pendiente, pero es una gran entrada y tengo ganas de seguir leyendo el trabajo de tibol

[Maximilian Gerboc]

There are a lot of interesting facts and writings from Frida Kahlo herself in this book, which demonstrates well her thought processes as an artist and a person. The book is poorly written though - badly organized, disjointed, and unfocused. The best part was the middle section about her role in the modern art movement and how she writes about Diego Rivera.

[Elena]

Una donna straordinaria raccontata con poesia e maestria da un'amica. Frida privata e Frida pittrice immensa.

“[…]L'angoscia e il dolore, il piacere e la morte, non sono altro che un processo per esistere. La lotta rivoluzionaria, in questo processo, è una porta aperta all'intelligenza”

Consigliato a chi: E' in cerca di ispirazione e grandezza.

[Pallavi Vishwanath]

A good book on the life of Frida Kahlo - her personal life, her love for painting and her ideologies, all interwoven well. First half is good, second half a bit boring and fragmented. Would have been better if her paintings were also included.

[Isabel]

First 1/3 is great, then it gets awfully boring and disorganized

[Victoria Wilde]

Dullest biography I’ve ever read.

[Elizabeth Gastelum]

El libro esta bien pero no cuentan nada nuevo. Me imagine que como fue mejor amiga de Frida contaria ideas o pensamiento de Frida antes de ser reconosida. Y por ende el libro es tedioso.

[Tate (booktimewithtate)]

Lovely book but was just hard for me to stick with in long periods. I had to re-read, to make sure I didn't lose track of things if I put it down for a few days. LOL.

[Claire Culwell]

this was exactly what i needed for my research

[Paola Molina]

Es una buena biografía. Tal como lo dije al principio, no tiene el tinte chismoso-morboso. La investigación de Tibol y su conocimiento de la obra de Frida Kahlo son exhaustivos.
Lo malo del libro... Le urge un corrector de estilo al corrector de estilo, jajajaja.

[Fer Martínez]

A mi gusto, Raquel Tibol conoce como nadie la vida de Frida y de Diego.

[Kara]

Too dry and lacking the brilliant paintings to offset the lack of depth. I was disappointed in this bio.

[Daniel Hamilton]

I read the original Spanish language version and found it informative and factual but very dry and lacking a compellingness to maintain ones interest in reading more.

[Moisés Sosa]

Amo a Frida Kahlo, su vida, su arte, su belleza, su originalidad... Ella es perfecta.

[Linda]

I skimmed over the entire middle section. There were a couple of good parts. But, sorry, most of it was boring. There are better Frida Kahlo biographies out there. I'm done with it now and see no need to ever read it ever again.

[Ida Ovied]

Very interesting insight into Frida’s life