AIBU to think most people know who Frida Kahlo is?

[morefalafel]

If you saw a picture of Frida Kahlo, you would recognise this person? Or AIBU?

You're right Silverfoxballs. It is the same with classical music and opera.

I know who she is but I was lucky enough to have a reasonable education, went to University and mostly mix with well educated people. She's hardly a household name.

Stop sounding smug, I thought she was a household name, I'm actually surprised how many people don't know her on here.

Waves to silverballs, feels guilty that having eatten lunch just across the road hundreds of times she's only wandered round the Barber institute once or twice.

I hope now it advertises it's self more as a public museum and less as only for art students.

"I'm actually surprised how many people don't know her on here."

And I'm surprised you're surprised. I repeat, she is hardly a household name.

I think you need to have at some point thought about/read about/looked at some 20th century art to know who she is. That rules out quite a lot of people. Most people know about only a few areas.

I know her, and I'm not a fan of arts much to be honest. I think i would feel a bit embarrassed if I didn't recognize her face though. But that's just me. No offence to anybody else

Silverballs and Nocomet - I loved the Open days for children the Barber Institute used to do - it was what first got me in to the building, when I didn't know it was there before - . Such a shame they stopped. Such a missed opportunity.

She is the sort of person who appears in lists of interesting women. Her look is iconic. Kind of like Carmen Miranda but with less fruit. But it's also age. I wouldn't have heard of her when I was 25. Your knowledge base often expands as you get older.

Also, your kids might well do art projects on her. Maybe in secondary school.

"Also, your kids might well do art projects on her. Maybe in secondary school."

A number of us have already pointed that out - more than once.

Oh good. Nice to know I'm on the same page.

minty
I know who she is but I was lucky enough to have a reasonable education, went to University and mostly mix with well educated people. She's hardly a household name.

Wow, just how smug can you get.

As kim147 said above:-

I can probably list loads of people who you've never heard of who are famous in their fields. If you've not heard of them, does that make you uneducated?

Just talking about women artists of the 20th century, I'd put Natalia Goncharova way above Kahlo in significance.

The only 20th century female artist that immediately comes to my mind is Augustus John.

I have never heard of Natalia Goncharova.

Not read whole thread but yes she's a Mexican artist. Was the subject of a book by Barbara Kingsolver- The Lacuna, where her and her husband Rivera gave sanctuary to Leon Trotsky in the 30s. Very good book, would highly recommend!

I believe the book won the Man Booker prize about 4 or 5 years ago.

Augustus John was definitely a bloke Bunbaker - I think you meant his (?) sister (?) Gwen.

I could do you a load of 20th century female artists but they'd all be sculptors rather than painters.

We can have segregated threads where the Science fans can exclaim disbelief that people haven't heard of Carl Sagan, Philosophy fans can exclaim disbelief that people haven't heard of Slavoj Zizek, Football fans can do the same over Nobby Styles and trainspotters can say the same about Dr Beeching to join the current ones on Artists and wars.

bunbaker Augustus John was definitely a bloke - his favourite thing was to paint teenage girls with their breasts out (eg Brigid McNamara) then when he got bored of painting them he would rape them (Caitlin Thomas nee McNamara)

I'd be interested in the scientist thread but I wonder how meaningful it would be. For example, I expect I would recognise many of the discoveries/breakthroughs (they're all around us) but not know the names. For example, I know what the Manhattan Project was but not the same of all the people who worked on it. On the other and, the name of the artist is really a shorthand for the art.

And there is a thing called recognising the name but not knowing the identity. For example, I have heard the name Nobby Styles but didn't know who he is or what he does. But he is that category of "name I should know." Maybe that's where Frieda Kahlo belongs.

I studied her art in Year 8, dont think I have ever seen a picture of her though.

BillyBanter

Sorry about that Billybanter. I was just trying - badly - to make a similar point to your post of 14:32:22.

nkf - He was a Man U footballer. I only know because my DF was a big Man U fan.