Jan. 27, 2016

Mirror Mirror: Rare Photographs of Frida Kahlo

Bentley Gallery hosts an exhibition of rare works titled “Mirror Mirror: Rare Photographs of Frida Kahlo,” featuring more than 20 vintage photographs of the Mexican artist by notable photographers from the 20th century. Frida Kahlo’s iconic beauty was evident from her self-portraits, but it was also captured through the lens of these legendary photographers.

Kahlo was photographed as much as, if not more than, any movie star in Mexico, and her photos nurtured the limelight around her. During her first trip to the United States, she was photographed by Lucien Bloch, Imogene Cunningham, Peter Juley, Martin Munkacsi, Nickolas Muray, Carl van Vechten and Edward Weston. In Mexico, she posed for Lola Alvarez Bravo, Miguel Alvarez Bravo, Miguel Covarrubias, Gisele Freund, Hector Garcia, Antonio Kahlo and Berenice Kolko, among others. Andre Breton and Dora Maar also photographed her. Lola Alvarez Bravo claimed Kahlo was sought after by photographers because of her aesthetic allure. Today, those same photographs, which drew the public with her magic, continue seducing others. Kahlo and her exotic beauty is part of the universal conscious. There is the right photograph for the right Frida adorateur.

John Reyes, Bentley Gallery director, says, “Frida Kahlo was a revolutionary artist born amidst political chaos in her homeland of Mexico. She was always her own favorite model, which was not about preserving youthful beauty so much as identifying herself with Mexico. Frida Kahlo embodied alegría, – a lust for life. The photographs we have chosen to feature in the exhibition capture Kahlo’s essence.”

Artists in the exhibition include: Anonymous, Lucienne Bloch, Lola Álvarez Bravo, Manuel Álvarez Bravo, Imogen Cunningham, Fritz Henie, Guillermo Kahlo, Leo Matiz, Nickolas Muray and Carl Van Vechten.