Patrice van Ramshorst
Paintings inspired by Frida
Patrice van Ramshort serial paintings on Frida Kahlo
Patrice van Ramshorst tells about her relationship with Frida.
"I learned about Frida on the Academy of Art in the seventies, but I felt in love with her
after seeing the Frida movie with Salma H. I don't know what happened, but after a few minutes, I felt deeply moved and couldn't stop
my tears during the whole movie. It felt strangely familiar, it felt like it was about me. I was completely in shock afterwards, and that lasted for weeks. The next day I went to a shop
to buy Frida-like clothes... and of course all the books I could get, including Hayden Herrera. In a few days I devoured the biography, and started to paint the first portrait, as a tribute. On this first painting she looks more like Salma,with a radiation of innocence. The rest of this first serie of 4, shows a change of expression, sadder and wiser and almost
cynical at the last one where she smokes a cigarette. The last three years where in connexion with Frida, and sometimes it became almost too heavy. The "Pain and Plaster"series consists of 6 long canvasses where I deal with her backpain, the
numerous corsets she had to wear, and the several miscarriages. Left and right are "Sol"and "Luna"inspired by the Aztec godesses Coatlicue and Tlazolteotl,
a comparison Carlos Fuentes made in the introduction of the diary of Frida Kahlo. In the 9 little portraits named: "Tu, todo Tu", you see 8 times the head of Frida and Diego in the
centre, her glances are clear enough I think...
The title is inspired by the album from Angelique Ionatos. Another painting with the title: "Henry Ford Hospital" refers to July 4,1932 when Frida lost
her child. "Feet, what do I need them for" are 2 collages on canvas and refers to the busaccident on
september 17, where she lay naked on the ground, covered with blood and goldpowder. In the last serie of the 4 photographs, there is one painting with little red Barbielegs,
called: "Yo Sol y Luna Pies Y Frida". A phrase from the song "Esperar "from the same cd I just
mentioned. This deals with the amputation of her right leg. I forgot to mention the "piece de resistance" of the exposition, the tailors "mannequin", where
I wanted to show the other side of her life.
As we all know, Frida was full of life, she liked to make fun about things, she loved to rig herself
up with her striking jewelry, her rustling petticoats, the flowers and ribbons in her hair.
The sensuel part of her is just as important as the suffering part. People forget that sometimes,
and let's be honest, most of my paintings deal with the pain! That's why I made the "mannequin", I had a great time adorning her...
First I thought I could stop with this powerful inspiration source, and start with a new theme,
but I'm not so sure about that now, there are a lot of aspects [such as her light side] that I
would like to emphasize. So....my Frida story is not over yet, and my admiration for this strong woman will never end!"
