The Guardian view on Frida Kahlo the icon: a thin line between canonisation and commercialisation | Editorial
The Mexican artist’s legacy is far greater than the kitsch. She is a much-loved symbol of rebellion and resilience Even before it opened this week
The Mexican artist’s legacy is far greater than the kitsch. She is a much-loved symbol of rebellion and resilience Even before it opened this week, Tate Modern’s Frida: The Making of an Icon was a smash hit. With more than 50,000 advance tickets, it is the highest pre‑selling show in Tate history, beating David Hockney in 2017.
This is “the Fridamania” that the exhibition sets out to explore, charting Frida Kahlo’s rise from little-known Mexican artist to global phenomenon. During her lifetime, Kahlo was overshadowed by her painter husband, Diego Rivera. Last year, the sale of one of her self-portraits broke the record for the most expensive work by a female artist.
It is not just her art that makes millions. There are more than 100,000 objects bearing her face to buy online. From candles to sanitary towels to a Barbie doll (whiter and with a toned-down monobrow), the cult of Kahlo is big business. Coincidentally, the controversial doll also appears at the Design Museum’s Barbie: The Exhibition tracing the evolution of Mattel’s iconic toy – which reopened this month in Glasgow.
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