BWW Reviews: FRIDA KAHLO: ART, GARDEN, LIFE at NYBG is Wonderful

South of the Border comes to the New York Botanical Garden (NYBG) with the beauty and grace of Frida Kahlo Art-Garden-Life now through November 1st. This is the first solo presentation of her works in New York City for more than 10 years. The exhibit focuses on Kahlo's engagement with nature in her native country of Mexico as seen in her garden, the decoration of her home and the plant imagery in her paintings. Exhibit texts are presented in both English and Spanish to provide historical and cultural background along with photos of Kahlo's garden as it appeared during her lifetime. This is a wonderfully curated exhibition with many elements that are sure to please all ages, children to adults.

Frida Kahlo (1907-54) is revered as one of the most significant artists of the 20th century and has risen as an international symbol of Mexican and feminist identity. Of her approximately 250 works, 55 are self-portraits and many more are portraits of colleagues. Her portraits incorporate plants, animals and other living things. Kahlo's still life paintings depict a variety of fruit and flowers including many that are native to Mexico.

Frida Kahlo Art-Garden-Life at NYBG reimagines Kahlo's studio and the botanical splendor of her home, Casa Azul (Blue House). These elements are beautifully presented in the Garden's Enid A. Haut Conservatory.

The multi-faceted exhibition also includes more that a dozen original paintings and drawings on view in the LuEsther T. Mertz Library's Art Gallery. A featured piece in the collection is Kahlo's iconic Self-Portrait with Thorn Necklace and Hummingbird (1940). The art exhibit also includes Flower of Life (1944), and Portrait of Luther Burbank (1931) and Two Nudes in a Forest. The display of artwork has true focus on Kahlo's boundless love of plant life and nature.

In the Library's Britton Rotunda, there is specially commissioned artwork by contemporary Artist in Residence, Humberto Spindola who specializes in sculptural works of paper inspired by Kahlo and her home at the Casa Azul. He has re-created an instillation of paper dresses that were first seen at the Museo Frida Kahlo in Mexico City in 2009.

An incredibly inviting series of accompanying programs at NYBG have been organized for guests to learn about Kahlo's Mexico through poetry, lectures, Mexican-inspired shopping, extraordinary dining experiences and hands-on activities for children. This is a exhibit that should not be missed by metropolitan area guests. It is sure to please art and nature enthusiasts and all those who want to be engaged by the fascinating culture of Mexico.

About NYBG

The New York Botanical Garden is an iconic living museum, a major educational institution, and a plant research and conservation organization. Founded in 1891 and now a National Historic Landmark, it is one of the greatest botanical gardens in the world and the largest in any city in the United States, distinguished by the beauty of its diverse landscape and extensive collections and gardens as well as by the scope and excellence of its programs in horticulture, education and science.

You can explore Frida Kahlo with NYBG's mobile guide at www.nybg.org/fridamobileguide.

The New York Botanical Garden is located at 2900 Southern Boulevard, Bronx, New York, 10458. For more information call 718.817.8700 or visit the New York Botanical Garden web site at www.nybg.org.

Image: Self Portrait with Thorn Necklace and Hummingbird by Frida Kahlo

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