Frida Kahlo

I very much enjoy and appreciate work by Frida Kahlo because I feel as though she has a very unique approach. She uses symbolism to convey messages which I particularly enjoy. This painting, "Viva La Vida, Watermelons" is a symbol of Frida's life. She put the finishing touched on this artwork just eight days before her death (Lebowitz).Being of Mexican heritage, Frida would most likely follow the tradition of celebrating life as opposed to mourning death. This is evident by the phrase she writes in her native language, meaning "Long Live Life".  I believe the watermelons are a symbol of Frida's fruitful life that grew into something beautiful and of substance. I feel as though she made several watermelons in different shapes/ different cut designs in order to convey the various stages in her life, her ups and downs. I believe this to be true especially in the watermelon with very jagged edges, exemplifying hardships. These edges could very well symbolize Frida's early contraction of polio at age six that led to paralysis and eventual amputation of her right leg. Frida also suffered from several miscarriages and a near-death motor vehicle accident. Overall, I thoroughly enjoy her work, especially this last painting of hers.