Frida Kahlo Research Paper

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Intro: September 17, 1925 - that was the day of the horrific traffic accident that changed her life. A handrail pierced her body "the way a sword pierces a bull."1 She suffered chronic pain and 30 operations to repair her fractured pelvis and collarbone, broken ribs, leg, and spinal column. However, during her recovery process at the hospital, a brilliant painter was born. Frida Kahlo began painting when her mother brought her a portable easel and paints in order to help pass the time and get her daughter's mind off the excruciating pain she felt.2 Today, Frida Kahlo is regarded as one of the most famous painters of all time. Her works are a testament to how strong emotions, such as pain and suffering, can lead to creativity in different…show more content…
At the age of 6, she contracted polio which left her with a right leg that was thinner than the left as well as a stunted right foot.3 This was followed by the tragic traffic accident she was involved in where a street car collided with the bus that she was traveling in. Aside from the physical pain that consumed a large part of Frida's life, she also experienced a lot of emotional pain. This was mainly centred on her rocky relationship with her husband, Diego Rivera. Diego was also a famous artist who had an insatiable appetite for women as noted through the various affairs he had with women during his marriage to Frida. The two divorced once and married twice. Another subject of emotional pain came from her infertility. Frida was tied to a surrealist way of painting to which she replied, "I don't paint dreams or nightmares, I paint my own reality." Painting was her time to create and express her sorrows by intricately splattering them on a canvas. There is an expression; "A picture is worth a thousand words," which stands true in the case of Frida Kahlo. She was an artist that used her artwork to express some of her deepest thoughts and feelings, especially those of…show more content…
Frida was victim to all sorts of pain including physical, emotional, and even psychological torment. However, this pain was also the main reason for her development as an influential artist. In fact, according to psychological research, "distressing feelings allow for the release of energy into work: The sublimation of anxieties into creative production is considered one of the healthiest possible ways of coping with pain."10 Frida is a true example of such a person since she used her art as a way to cope, as noted when she said, "The only thing I know is that I paint because I need to." This suggests the intense importance of painting in her life in order to

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