National Art Education Association

Art Critics on Frida Kahlo: A Comparison of Feminist and Non-Feminist Voices

Author(s): Elizabeth Garber
Source: Art Education, Vol. 45, No. 2 (Mar., 1992), pp. 42-48
Published by: National Art Education Association
Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/3193324 .
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 Art Critics on Frida Kahlo:
A Comparisonof Feminist
and Non-Feminist Voices
Elizabeth Garber
Introduction
As a writer,researcher,andstudentof
feministcriticism,I amoftenaskedto
definefeministartcriticism.Ina timewhen
criticismhas becomea widelydiscussed
componentof arteducationprogramsin
universitiesandschools- a timecoinci-
dentwithincreasedawarenessof and
responsibilityto representing the world
viewsof womenandpersonsof color-
the questionis relevantto a broadaudi-
ence of arteducatorswhoare interestedin
incorporating feministperspectivesinto
theirartcurricula. Understanding the uses
anddefinitions of feminism,frommedia
usages to dense andjargon-laden aca-
demicexplorations, is confusing,making
the questforunderstanding difficult.
Througha comparisonof feministandnon-
feministwritteninterpretations of Frida
Kahlo'sart,Iwilloutlinebothwhatfeminist
artcriticismis andwhatit is not,andthe
varietyof formsfeministcriticismtakes.
Beginning withthe feministcritics,Iwill
showa varietyof approachesto Kahlo's
paintingsthatrepresentdifferentissues
andemphaseswithinthe feministmove-
ment.Thesefeministanalyseswillthenbe
comparedwithnon-feminists' interpreta-
tions.Iwillconcludewitha shortrationale
forfeministartcriticismas a groupof
perspectiveson artthatare an important
componentinourbecomingliterateabout
multipleworldviews. First,however,some
briefbiographical detailsof the artist'slife
andwork.
FridaKahlo
FridaKahlowas a Mexicanartistwhose
lifespanoccupiedmostof the firsthalfof
thiscentury(1907-1954).Herpaintingsare
1992
42 ArtEducation/March
figurativeandcolorful,filledwithsymbolism
andcarriedout inwhatseems to have
been a deliberately naivestyle.She was
of a
part group of artistsandintellectuals
in
Mexicoduringthefirstpartof thiscentury
whowere bothproudof theirMexican
heritageandweddedto socialreforms
throughCommunism. In1925 Kahlo
sufferedgraveinjuriesto herpelvis,spine,
andone of herfeet whena streetcarhitthe
bus inwhichshe was riding;the accident
profoundly affectedherlife.She spent
muchtimeinbed,underwentdozensof
operations,andcouldnotbearchildren.
Theeffectsof herinjuryandinfertility,
combinedwiththe emotionalupheavalsof
herdramaticmaritalrelationship with
muralistDiegoRivera,are apparent
subjectsin manyof herpaintings.Her
imageoccupiesthe centralpictureplanein
mostof herwork,as botha physicalanda
psychologicalstudyof herself.Kahlo's
reputation herworkthe
is international,
subjectof manycriticalreviewsand
severalbooks.Currently, Kahlois subject
of renewedattention,withnewarticles
appearingmonthly(ArtandMan,1991;
Bartolucci, 1990;Chessher,1990;
Grimberg, 1990/1991; Helland,1990/1991;
Herrera,1990;Zamora,1989);andher
workis includedin numerousexhibitions.1
'Recent highlypublicizedand well reviewed U. S.
exhibitionsin whichKahlo'sworkhas been included
are "Mexico:Splendorsof ThirtyCenturies"at the
Metropolitan Museumof Artand "Womenin Mexico"
at the NationalAcademyof Design in New York.
Furtherexhibitionsare scheduled at the San Antonio
Museumof Artand Los Angeles CountyMuseumof
Art.Pop star Madonna,who owns several of Kahlo's
paintings,has purchasedthe rightsto the artist'slife
storyand intendsto make a movie;othermovies are
reportedlyin the works(Herrera,1990).
The FeministVoice and FridaKahlo
"Feminist" inthispaperis associatedwith
an understanding thatgenderis an under-
lyingfactor(althoughnotnecessarilythe
onlyone) influencing with
ourrelationships
otherpeople.Feministartcriticismarises
fromandis inextricably connectedwiththe
women'smovementandits socio-political
the oppressionof
goals of alleviating
women. Itis "aimed... at bringinginto
beingnewmeaningsand new
subjectivities... [Itis] committedto the
futureof women"(Modleski,1989,14-15).
Thesegoals areoftenimplied,overarching
ratherthandirect.Within thiscontext,
feministartcriticismencompassesartby
women,the portrayal of womeninart,and
socialmeansthatconstructourviewing
andunderstanding of womenartistsand
the representation of gender.
Activitiesandgoals of Americanfeminist
artcriticsandhistorians2 duringthe 1970s
and'80s havebeen to placewomenartists
(forgotten andignored)incanonsof high
artwheretheyare under-represented, to
searchforcharacteristics inwomen'sart
thatmightdefinea "femalesensibility," and
to examinevaluesinartthatdetermine
"greatness" andthe veryideaof an art
canon.Duringthe lastten years,the
implications of thislastactivityhave
expanded a full-scaleexamination
to of
underlying ideological and mean-
political
ingsof sociallydeterminedstructuressuch sexualpreference,andotherfactorsthat FridaKahlo,The Two
Fridas,oil on canvas, 67 x
as canonicalart.Thesocialconstruction of to groupidentities(Gouma-
contribute 67".Collectionof Museode
gender and the relationshipof social PetersonandMathews,1987;Lorde,1984; ArteModerno,Mexico,D.F.
structures to women'sartandto the Tickner,1984;Trinh,1990). Photocourtesyof Hayden
Herrera.
representation of womenin arthave The above activities are reflected in
undergone extensive analyses.Lately, feministcriticism writtenaboutFrida
insteadof studyingdifferencesbetween Kahlo'spaintings.Inthe firstthreewritings
womenandmen,differencesbetween analyzedbelow,the focusis on defininga
womenhavebeen exploredas they relate femalesensibility.Inthefourthone, it is on
to variationsin race,class, ethnicity,age, socialstructures thatdefinegenderas well
as on differencesbetweenwomen.Implicit
inallthe essays is the restoration of a
2Thisstudyis limitedto U.S. Americanartcriticism femaleartistlargelyignoredinthe United
because of the unavailability in this countryof
materialspublishedin Mexicoand othercountries.It Statesuntilthewomen'smovement
is limitedlargelyto criticismpublishedinjournalswith broughtherto ourattention.Thisproject,
highcirculation,althougha subsequent comparison then,is notspecifically dealtwithin my
couldand shouldbe made drawingupon the views of
criticspublishedin less circulatedjournalsforideas comparisons of feminist critics.
and views outsidethe spectrumof artjournals Theearliestpieceof writingused forthis
directedtowardshighartaudiences. Manyof these studyis "Frida Kahlo:PaintingforMiracles"
sources are not readilyavailablein the U.S.A.,
notablythose publishedin Mexico.Fora comprehen- (1973), inwhich authorGloriaOrenstein
sive bibliography on Kahloup to the early 1980s, see ties the iconography of Kahlo'spaintings
Garcia(1983); Herrera's(1983a) biographyof Kahlo intothe physicalandpsychological condi-
containsa selected bibliography,pp. 445-448; the
WhitechapelGalleryexhibitioncatalog (Mulveyand
tionsof the artist'slife.Orensteinwritesin
Wollen,1982) also includesa selected bibliography. thisarticleto definea femalesensibility.

1992
ArtEducation/March 43
 Becauseof women'sbiologicaldifferences, cellularstructuresandshapes, microcos-
she assumeswomenarepsychologically mic equivalentsof the solar system ... She
frommen.Kahlois describedas
different is the centralaxisof a naturaldramaof
"pioneeringartist"whodaredto express in universaldimensionsandproportions" (p.
herart"thefulltruthof [her]biological 8). According to Orenstein'swritinginthis
experience" (p. 7). Anexcerptof essay, the universaldramais thatof
Orenstein'sinterpretationof Kahlo's women'slives.
paintingHenry Ford Hospitalillustrates Inthisessay, Orensteinengages in
howOrensteindevelopsthatthesis. activitiesandgoals of earlyfeminist
criticism. She findsKahlo'sworka stylistic
Ina self-portrait of the artist...she is alternative to traditional estheticandsocial
attachedby visiblestrings(physicaland norms, and attributes such differencesto
emotionalties)to herunbornfetusand to the artist's sex.
biological ThroughKahlo's
herpelviswhichhadbeen fractured in an work, she projectsandclaimsa universal
accidentthatmadeit impossibleforher female sensibilityconnectedto nature.
everto bearchildren.Thesestringsare Kahlo's importance as an artistis claimed
concreterepresentations of the spiritual in her to
ability vividlycommunicateher
andpsychologicalbondsbetweenher "true" gendersensibility.
artisticexpressionandthe traumasrelated LucyLippard also assumes, ina 1977
to the biologicalcrisesof femalesexuality essay which includes analysisof Frida
thatshe portrayed in hermanycanvases Kahlo's paintings, women'ssensibility
that
differs from men's.Inthe paintingRoots,
depictingbirth,Caesareanoperationsand
miscarriages andhemorrhages.(p. 7) Lippard senses a "longing forconnection
withan anthropomorphized earthmother:"
Kahlo'siconography is decipheredas an from the leaves which growoutof Kahlo's
expressionof femaleness,a condition chest "spread a network of tinyredcapillar-
whichis characterized by a tie withnature ies, bleeding back into the earthand
andvariousearthgoddesses. Orenstein binding her to it"(p. 35). Lippard, however,
findsthatKahlo"alwaysdrewhertrue attributesKahlo'sabilityto retainlinksto
spiritualnourishment directlyfromnature" natureto the artist'sconsciousnessof her
(p.7). AnotherpaintingOrensteindis- Mexican Indianheritage.Herpaintings
cusses is MyNurseand I (Minanoy yo), exude "thatMexicansense of solitudethat
whichdepictsthe artist"asFemme-Enfant OcatvioPaz called'a formof orphanhood',"
being suckled by a native wet-nurse/Earth- claims Lippard (p. 35). Kahlo'sversionof
Motherfigurewhose breastis composedof womanandnature,accordingto Lippard, is
flowerletblood-vessels" (p. 8). In relationto notof idealisticharmonybutincludesthe
anotherpainting,OrensteinidentifiesKahlo threatof nature.InMyNurseand I,the
withAztecgoddesses of lifeanddeath, maskof the nurse-goddessis associated
Coatlicue,the earthgoddess, and withsacrificial ceremoniesinthe Aztec
Mictlanchuatl, the goddess of death. religion,andthe earthgoddess is accord-
Ultimately the artistbecomes, in inga unionof benevolenceandthreat.
Orenstein'sessay, ani"Artist-Curandera," Lippard understandsthis associationof
or artist-healer: "Frida, who was going to dualities as an wholisticviewof the cos-
becomea medicaldoctor,became instead mos, withwomen(representedby the baby
a kindof Artist-Curandera - one who Frida)ableto acceptthe whole.
paints in order to performmiracles, who WhitneyChadwick(1985)triesto
paints in order to cure" (pp.8-9). Rather establish a femalesensibilityinthe artof
thanconnectingsuchhealingpowerswith womenconnectedwiththe surrealist
Kahlo'sIndianheritage,Orensteinidenti- movementin"TheMuseis Artist:Women
fies Kahlo's struggle as the struggle of all in the SurrealistMovement," whichin-
womenand celebrates her as a symbol of cludes consideration of the work of Frida
Woman'sstrength inthe face of painand Kahlo. Chadwick finds women's approach
suffering.Notingthe artistherselfis to surrealistic paintingdifferentfromthatof
depictedat the centerof mostof herown males'.Whilethe mentendedto treat
work, Orenstein writes: "Her painting women as an imageor agentof inspiration
Without Hope(SinExperanze)portrays her in an art of disruptivehallucination and
crying ... The sheets are covered with erotic she
violence," argues, "thewomen

44 ArtEducation/March
1992
soughtto articulatea specifically female
consciousnessby recourseto a more
composed,narrative, oftenautobiographi-
cal artof sensibility"(p. 121).Themale
surrealists' emphasison eroticdesire
objectified women, claimsChadwick, and
definedthemas subordinate to men.
Wherethe criticfindseroticviolencein
Kahlo'spaintings,it is directedagainstthe
self, "notthe Other,violenceinseparable
fromthe physiologicalrealityof woman's
sexuality" (p. 124). Personalexperience
dominatesherartina narrative flow,rather
thanthe dreamlikediscontinuity thatwas
the goal of malesurrealists.Chadwick
findsthatwomenartistsof surrealism
depictedthemselvesregularly intheir
paintings, whereas theirmale counterparts
didnot.Whereasmalesurrealistsutilized
the imageof womenas metaphorforthe
mysteriesof nature,womenpainters
poisedtheirimages"uneasilybetweenthe
worldsof artand nature."InKahlo'swork,
Chadwickunderstandsthisa reflectionof
the dualityof the artist'slife:her"exterior
persona"of ornamentandcostumejuxta-
posed nextto her"interior self nourished
on the painof hercrippledbody"(p. 128).
Chadwickultimately argueswomenin
the surrealistmovementchose their
difference.She claimsthatthroughtheir
art,womensurrealistscommentedon the
tensionbetween"constructed socialbeing"
(symbolizedby artandthe exteriorper-
sona) and"thepowerfulforcesof the
instinctual life"(symbolizedby "nature" and
"theinteriorself")(p. 126)3Chadwick's
essay is feministcriticismbecause it
exploresthe artof womeninthe surrealist
movementandthe natureof theirsensibil-
ityas opposedto theirmalecounterparts'
in an effortto increaseunderstanding of
these frequently overlookedartists.Ineach
of the threeessays thusfarexamined,
throughthe exploration of femalesensibil-
ity, new and
meanings subjectivities are
to
brought understanding women artists.
Ina 1982exhibition catalogessay on
Kahloandphotographer TinaModotti,
LauraMulveyandPeterWollenconsider
women'sdifferencesas bothsocialcon-
structsand materialfact.Althoughwomen,
relegatedto the privateanddomestic
31nassociationan "instinctual
life"withnature,
Chadwickstillimpliesthe existence of an essential
female core fromwhichthe women of surrealismdrew
inspiration.
spheres,haveoftencreatedartoutof their
experiences,"thereis a danger
non-public
herethata creativity
producedby a social
condition... shouldthen be theorized as
specificto womenand naturallyexpres-
sive of 'feminine'
as such"(p. 13). Focus
on these realmsbywomenartistsshould
notend in a "celebration" of women's
differentestheticbutin "analysisof the
femalecondition" (p. 13). Kahlo'spaintings
emerge from herinteriorexperiencesand
feelings andwere paintedat home,which
aretraditional sourcesforandconditions
underwhichwomen'sarthas been pro-
duced.Yet,Kahlo'sartdoes notpassively
reflectherexperiences:
FridaKahlodevelopedherownsense of
and "Mexican-ness"
"rootedness" to an
extreme degree ... She was noted espe-
ciallyforheruse of Tehuanacostume- the
longdresses of the womenof Tehuantepec
in SouthernMexicowhoenjoyeda mythic
reputationfortheirpersonaland economic
independence.(p. 18;emphasisadded)
Kahlo'sactivechoosingis continued,they
feel, in herart:in naivestyle, in heruse of
detail,inthe subjectof painandsuffering,
and, inthe case of herex-votopaintingson
tin,in media.4Thechoiceswere political,
accordingto MulveyandWollen,foreach
can be tracedto its associationswith
popularartformsof the "common" people
thatwerecelebratedby leadingMexican
artistsof thisperiod.Itis inthiscontextthat
MulveyandWollenunderstandKahlo's
workas an instanceof "thepersonalis
political,"foregrounding the politicaland
socialcontextsof thisfeministslogan,
ratherthanany "natural" associationsof
womenwiththeirinterior/personal realms.
They also compare Kahlo's artmaking with
thatof Modotti,notingdifferencesas well
as similarities.
MulveyandWollenare carefulto place
the workof KahloandModottiin specific
artistic,social,political,and historical
contexts,includingMexicoafterthe
revolution, the Mexicanrenaissance,and
European surrealism.These influencesare
understoodas reflectingupon"theindi-
viduallifeexperiencesof twoverydifferent
women"andthe resultingarteach made
4Ex-votosare traditionalreligiouspaintingson tin
thatare small in size done by folkartists.
ArtEducation/March
1992 45
 (p. 23). The authors'concept of women as
diverse, and of women's identityas socially
constructed,leads to a contextualfeminist
analysis that places the artworkwithin
personal, political,social, and cultural
spheres. The experience of being a women
is modifiedby these contexts, allowingfor
differences between women, and negating
any universalconcept of an essential
woman. Gender experience is understood
to functioninseparablywithother contexts.
The Others
Ifone of the projectsof feminist art criti-
cism has been the restorationof women to
the canon, isn'tevery criticwho argues
FridaKahlo'swork is importantart de facto
a feministcritic?Not unless the writing
helps us understandthe relationshipsof
gender to artisticproductionand valuing.
Andnotunless itcontributes to the pro-
cesses of changingthe socialconditions
thatoppresswomenand/orof bringingnew
meaningsandsubjectivities to the under-
standingof womenandart.Thismaybe
accomplished throughrecognition that
womenhavebeen wrongfully omittedfrom
recognition andthroughutilization of
alternatecriteriainevaluatingartthatallow
forwomen'sdifferentexperiencesof the
world(understood as sociallydetermined
or innate).Additionally, the writermust
placegenderas a central,or equally
weighted,themein hisor heressay.
In"Frida Kahlo:The Palette,The Pain,
andThePainter," HaydenHerrera(1983b)
buildsa psychological profileof the artist
throughanalyzingKahlo'spaintings.
Herrera's thesis is that"Kahlo's paintings
showus the miserybehindherfacadeof
alegria"(p. 60). Embellished liberallywith
biographical details(including Kahlo's
relationship withherfather,herexperience
withpolio,the bus accidentthatperma-
nentlydisabledthe artistandmadeit
impossibleforherto bearchildren,her
teenageboyfriend,herlifewithhusband
DiegoRivera,herlovers,herrecoveries
and relapsesto healthandintoillness,and
so on), HerrerarevealsKahlo'spaintings
as acts of therapyandmeansforsurvival.
Herrera tracesthe meaningof individual
paintingsto specificeventsin Kahlo'slife.
HenryFordHospitaldepictsKahlo's1932
miscarriage. MyBirthreiteratesthe same
miscarriage andalso refersto the deathof
Kahlo'smother.LittleDeer(LaVenadita)
46 ArtEducation/March
1992
refersto a spinalfusionthe artistunder-
went,andalso, Herrera conjectures,to
Kahlo'sinjuryin loveas well.Where
physicalfactsof Kahlo'slifedo notparallel
the iconography in herpaintings,Herrera
interprets"vividsymbolsof painin love. In
Remembrance of an OpenWoundand
Whatthe WaterGaveMeor WhatI Saw in
the Water(Loque el aguame dioor Lo
que vien el agua)forexample,the longcut
on Kahlo'sinnerthighis "aninvention- it
pointsto herdamagedsense of self as a
sexualbeing"(p. 62). Itis throughthis
associationof sex withphysicalinjurythat
Herrerasees Kahlo'sworkas surrealistic.
Herrera's interpretation of the artworkas
surrealisticparallels Chadwick's essay on
womensurrealists; Herrera'sunderstand-
ingof the artas therapyparallels
Orenstein'snamingKahloan "Artist-
Curandera." Chadwick,however,distin-
guishes the women surrealists'expression
of fantasiesandsexualitiesfromthose of
men.Orenstein'shealingtakes place inthe
contextof associatingthe artwork with
goddesses and female earth symbols.
UnderHerrera's pen,the socio-political
meaningsof feministartcriticismare lostto
a highlyspecificaccountof the biographi-
cal detailsof one woman'slife.Herprofile
of Kahloevolves intoa morassof pain,
psychological distress,drugandalcohol
addictions.Herreraleads thisintoan
hypothesisputforthby one of Kahlo's
doctors,thatthe artistdeveloped
Munchausen syndrome.
Anindividual
sufferingfromMunchausen
syndromewantsto be a patientand willgo
fromhospitalto hospitalin orderto finda
placewherethe fictitiousnatureof his or
hersymptomshas notalreadybeen
discovered ... Being a patient was part of
[Kahlo's]theatrical it
self-presentation,
wentwithherclothes,it wentwithher
exoticpersonality,it wentwiththe dramaof
herart.(1983b,pp. 62, 66)
Thoughsome of Kahlo'slastpaintingsare
blatantly political,andHerrerarecordsthis,
ultimately she abandon'sdiscussionof the
networkfora characterization of "Frida's"
end,anda finalhypothesisof the cause of
herdeath."Ordinarily," remarksSerge
Fauchereau,anothercriticwho has written
of FridaKahlo,the manydetailsof an
artist'slife"wouldnotnecessarilyrelateto
the artist'swork,yet inthe case of Kahlo
one cannotoverlookit,since herartis
openlyautobiographical" (1986,p. 88).
Withthe exceptionof Herrera's essay,
however,criticswritingaboutFridaKahlo's
arttaketheiriconographical interpretations
beyondthe artist'sparticular existence.
Feministcriticsworkto uncoveran under-
standingof the relationships of genderto
artisticproduction andvaluing.
ManycriticshaveconsideredKahlo's
workwithinthe framework of surrealism.
WhitneyChadwickexploredherartwithin
the contextof womensurrealists.A num-
berof writerstreatitwithinthe framework
of Mexicansurrealism.Serge Fauchereau
(1986)includesKahloin his examination of
"Surrealism in Mexico," calling herthe
"mostclearlysurrealist" of Mexicanartists
inthe 1920s and'30s (p. 88). He argues,
"sheuncalculatingly transposedto canvas
herdreamsandthe ghoststhathaunted
her,assemblingherdiversepictorial
elementswithno regardforlogic,realism,
or perspective" (p. 90). As example,he
offersthe conglomeration of objects
painted in What the Water GaveMe/WhatI
saw in the waterwhichare "adead bird,a
womanbeingstrangled,Kahlo'sparents,a
boat,a skeleton,plants,a tightropewalker,
a volcanofromwhicheruptsa skyscraper-
likebabybottle,two nakedwomenon a
bed, and more"(p. 90). Thesymbols,
whichFauchereaucalls "Boschian" in
character,are decipherablehe claims,but
theirmeaningsare lost inthe mysteryof
the unconscious.Fauchereauinterprets
Kahlo'suse of these symbolsto her
heritage.Mexicansintuitively knowthe
surreal,he claims,as "aculturalmanifesta-
tion"(p. 90). Fauchereau'sanalysisis
interestingand important inthatit explores
the artist'sworkin relationship to surreal-
ism,withwhichKahlois sometimes
associated.Hisanalysisis notfeminist.
NancyBreslow(1982)also emphasized
Mexicancultureas havinga predominant
influenceon Kahlo'swork.Moreover,she
argued it was the artist's intended refer-
ence. "Itis notto Europethatshe gave her
allegiance," Brestlowwrites."Heradmira-
tionforMexicanfolkartsandthe use of a
folkartmedium(oilon tin)5precededand
5Theseare the ex-votopaintings.Kahloutilized
this mediumin some, but by no means all, of her
paintings.
was morebasicto herthanany European
avant-gardemovement" (p. 123). Focusing
on
particularly Kahlo'spaintingknownin
the UnitedStatesbothas TheSquareIs
Theirsand FiveInhabitants
of Mexico,
Breslowinterpretsit as a pun of surrealist
painting.Kahloconsciouslyplacedher
Mexicannationalism as peremptoryto
art
European styles. Breslow analyzesin
carefuldetaileach one of the symbolsin
thispaintingas an iconof Mexicanpre-
Columbian andfolkarts.Hersis an icono-
graphicalstudyforthe purposesof estab-
lishingKahlo'sinfluencesas Mexican,not
European.
Summaryand Conclusion
Fourthemesthreadthroughthese seven
essays on FridaKahlo'sart.Herpaintings
areconsideredagainstherMexican
heritage,as belongingto the surrealist
movement,forwhattheytellus abouther,
andas expressionsof gender.Throughmy
analyses,Ido notwish to implythatone
themeis moreworthythananother.
Indeed,togethertheyforma betterunder-
standingof Kahlo'swork.To interpret
Kahlo'sworkwithoutreferenceto her
existenceas a woman,however,gives an
incompletereadingof herpaintings.To
overlookthe historical andartisticperiods
inwhichlived,herclass, herpolitical
herallegianceto herMexican
affiliations,
heritage, to ignorethe physicaland
or
psychological traumasof herpersonallife
similarly make foran incompleteunder-
standing of the meaningof Kahlo'sart.
Thefeministessays describedabove
illustrateimportant distinctionsbetween
feminists.GloriaOrenstein'sessay is a
discussionof the relationship of Kahlo's
iconography to the and
physical psycho-
logicalconditionsof the artist'slife.These
conditionsare interpreted as an expression
of Kahlo'sfemaleness,whichin
Orenstein'smindis connectedto nature.In
thisassociation,Orensteinpositsa female
sensibilityin art.LucyLippard findsin
Kahlo'sworka femalesensibilitycon-
nectedto nature,apparentbecauseof the
artist'sconsciousnessof herIndianand
Mexicanheritages.The implication is that
an essentiallinkbetweenwomanand
naturecan be erasedor hiddenby cultural
factors.WhitneyChadwickalso triesto
establisha femalesensibility,generalizable
ArtEducation/March
1992 47
 at least to women in the surrealistmove-
ment. She too associates women with
nature,but unlikeOrenstein,she under-
stands this association not as innateor
generalizableto all women, but as socially
constructedand perhaps consciously
chosen by Kahlo.Mulveyand Wollen
emphasize differences between women,
that women's homogeneity is the tension
experienced between abstractsocial
expectationsfor women and the actuality
of being a woman. They furtherargue that
withinany given social, economic, ethnic,
and culturalstratum,women willoccupy,
as a class, positions inferiorto those held
by men. Mulveyand Wollen'scritique
typifiesmuch recent feministscholarship,
characterizedby an idea aboutwomen as
sociallyconstructedand ever-changing.
There is, then, no female sensibility
generalizableto all women. Differences
between women become the subject, with
culturaland class influences highlighted.
The feministmovement has grown in the
last decade to encompass morethan
gender issues. Manyfeminists, myself
included,willargue that in many instances,
gender issues are properlyforegrounded
by those of race, ethnicity,class, age,
sexual preference, or other factors. In
expandingthe breadthof influences on
social and culturaldynamics and those
contributingto the make-upof the indi-
vidual,we are betterable to understand
differences between people and to formu-
late strategies to ameliorateproblemsof
inequityand misunderstanding.Butthis
does not signal the end of the importance
of feminism.Women as a group still
occupy social positions less valued and
respected, less economicallyrewarded,
and with less powerto determinetheir
density than do men. Motherhoodis stilla
"low-statusjob,"women earn on the
average 66 cents to the dollarmen earn,
and women in professionaljobs often
reach with is called a "glass ceiling"- a
bias barrier(Wallis,1990, 85). In art, less
than 10%of artistsshown at majorgaller-
ies and museums or featured in art maga-
zines with nationaland international
circulationare women (Withers,1988).
These issues affect the lifeworldsof our
students and how they understandart.
Feminismis an issue for the artclassroom
of the 1990s.
48 ArtEducatiornMarch
1992
ElizabethGarberis an Assistant Professor in
the ArtEducationProgramat The Pennsylvania
State University.
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