The Two Painters; or, Perfect Timing

http://www.abcgallery.com/K/kahlo/kahlo42.html

Frida Kahlo. The Two Fridas. 1939. Oil on canvas. 170 x 170 cm. Museo de Arte Moderno, Mexico City, Mexico.

Today was a long day. I am feeling under the weather; the students have been sick and I am swiftly following suit.

Prussian Blue, who yesterday went home early due to such an explosive bout of diarrhea that not a stitch of clothing was left unscathed, returned today not feeling quite right. Begrudgingly doing the simplest of tasks, Prussian expressed extreme displeasure throughout by continually signing stupid, a daredevil feat when at one point one of Prussian's hands was holding a pair of scissors. (Yes, Prussian is able to speak; yet when deeply feeling emotions, signing, gestures, and facial expressions become Prussian's mode of communication)

Madder's aggressive behaviors have been increasing in frequency; today some of those behaviors were self-injurious. (Yes, Madder is able to speak; yet when deeply feeling emotions, aggression becomes Madder's mode of communication.)

And so on, and so forth.

I returned home tired, late, and feverish. I checked the mail. I found a package from a Dear Friend. I opened it, and laughed out loud with joy. How wise of you, Dear One, to wait for such a day to drop your treasures in my lap. I love the gifts; I love even more your generousity; your thoughtfulness and your metta. I'm glad you got to see her first.

Thank you!

They say that a person can't help the family life gives to them, but that a person can choose the family that they want to be in their life. Under that principle, you have been a sister to me since we first met.

For that, I am very glad.

Considering the Feminine in Art; or, A Flip-book

Unicorn in Captivity, c.1505 www.metmuseum.org

Georgia O'Keefe: Hands with Thimble, Alfred Stieglitz, 1920 www.kameraclub.co.za

Madame X, John Singer Sargent (neroli's zoom), 1884 www.metmuseum.org

Self-portrait with Cropped Hair, Frida Kahlo, 1940 www.abcgallery.com

Judith I, Gustav Klimt, 1904 (neroli's edit) www.art.com

Mother and Child, Gustav Klimt, 1905 www.art.com

Red Tara Kurukulla www.exoticindiaart.com

L'invention de la vie, Rene Magritte, 1928 www.abcgallery.com

Departure, Max Beckmann, 1935 www.moma.org

Collective Invention, Rene Magritte, 1934 (neroli's edit) www.abcgallery.com

US Postal Service, sheet stamps of quilt's from Gee's Bend www.outsider-folk-art.org

Nude Descending a Staircase, Marcel Duchamp, 1912 www.artofeurope.com

Birth of Venus, detail, Sandro Botticellli, 1485 www.art.com

Simhavaktra, Lion-faced Dakini www.exoticindiaart.com

Sky Above Clouds IV, Georgia O'Keefe, 1965 www.artci.edu

Is There Such a Thing as Too Happy?; or, The Things I Find Out When I Read More Than One Newspaper

http://www.abcgallery.com/K/kahlo/kahlo16.html

(Frida as she appeared the last time we were face-to-face)

She's coming. I am counting the days; I am excited beyond words!

http://www.philamuseum.org/exhibitions/278.html

All That and a Bag of Chips; or, Gotta Love Someone Who Loves Tarzan Matinees

http://www.filmposters.com/templates/LargeImage.asp?ProdID=9315


As I was just writing in reply to Swampwitch, Frida brought so much to the table that we will really never go hungry.

The fact that she absolutely loved Tarzan films and laughed all the way through them only further endears her to me, so as I still have an entire watermelon in the fridge, we will continue celebrating Frida's Centennial today. She deserves it, yes?



As part of the festivities, do follow the link, leading you to one of my favorite books. I have a Favorite Book Shelf, and I knew this one was going to be placed there before I even picked it up.

When you go there, you might understand why:






http://teacher.scholastic.com/authorsandbooks/events/frida/
Have a wonderful time.
And so it continues: Viva la vida, my friends.

Min, Would You Care for a Slice?, and Then Pass It On; or, July is Birthday Month

http://www.elbertprice.com/FridaKahlo/01-PortraitofFridaKahlo.htm

Not only have I been remiss in sharing my lovely surprises with you in a timely manner, I have truly been remiss in celebrating Frida's birthday with you. Had she lived this far, she would have been 100 on July 6th.

So Happy Birthday, dear Frida.

Viva la vida indeed, dear reader.

Thank you for stopping by. Please toss the rinds on the compost heap on your way out; the chipmunks absolutely adore them. As do the butterflies and the bees!

http://www.abcgallery.com/K/kahlo/kahlo72.jpg

The Persistence of Memory; or, The Treachery of Images, Redux

Today is the final day of the school year for our boys. Next year, one will be in his final two years of high school; the other, still in elementary.

Sometimes I find it interesting and useful to think about the fluidity of time, of memory. I've had occasion to see many science-fiction type stories played out in various media, and I am often drawn to thought about that common story arc, that of the parallel universe/time travel: often, one character, upon discovering that alternate realities of the reality previously thought to be the one true reality truly do exist, travel through the ubiquitous time-space continuum to a different, alternate reality.

The traveler does so for many various reasons: to avert some tragedy; to gain information; to start over; to become deus ex machina; really, to be or to do anything. Truly any number of reasons are given; that's part and parcel of the pleasure of the playing of ideas, from fingerpainting to string theory, that question begins it all: how would you like to play?

There is some strange comfort to thinking about being able to have access to such a thing. If time is like a river, moving along into the ultimate sea; or if time is like, say, moving along in a spiral as if tracing the continous coil of a Slinky-type toy with one's finger, wouldn't it be good to be able to move back upstream to leave a little sign, a little touchstone, for the ride; or to be able to convey a wish to stop thinking about the circles of motion (round and round) and begin thinking and feeling about the direction of motion (up and up)? To say, look, this is the picture.

Frida is one of my favorite painters. She speaks to me, as she does to many others, with a unique language of icons. It is accepted in art history that she did not wish to be known as a Surrealist; some say it started with her abhorrence for Andre Breton. She was not averse to labels, when appropriate; she just didn't care for the word in reference to her.

An eloquent lady in many languages, that Frida.
shown above, right:

Memory, or the Heart, Frida Kahlo

www.abcgallery.com/K/kahlo