Talk | A Ribbon Around a Bomb: Frida Kahlo's Surrealist Encounter

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Thursday, August 14, 2025
6:30–7:30 pm
$8 (VMFA members $5)
Leslie Cheek Theater

Join us for a talk that reconsiders Frida Kahlo’s relationship with surrealism—suggesting that, even as she refused the label, her fearless exploration of identity, pain, and revolution embodied the true spirit of surrealist revolt.

Dr. Elliott King is co-editor of Frida & Diego: Passion, Politics and Painting, Associate Professor of Art History at Washington and Lee University. Reflecting on André Breton’s enthusiastic encounter with her paintings in 1937, Dr. King will explore whether Kahlo belongs to surrealism by examining how we define the movement: If surrealism is understood narrowly as "melting clocks," bowler hats, and unconscious automatism, Kahlo stands apart. But if we return to surrealism’s revolutionary roots—its commitment to freedom of thought and radical self-expression—Kahlo’s art resonates deeply with those aims.

From the comfort of home, watch live on our livestream page.

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Frida Kahlo, 1931, Imogen Cunningham (American, 1883–1976), gelatin silver print. Private Collection ©️ 2025 Imogen Cunningham Trust, ImogenCunningham.com
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