24. Transcestor Artists, A Look At Art Beyond the Binaries

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Leigh and Gretchen are back from hiatus with an extra special episode! Recorded live at the Dallas Museum of Art on June 21st as part of the museum’s Pride events, your friendly neighborhood queer history nerds sat down to chat about gender diversity in art. Love mythology? Think that heteronormativity shouldn’t apply to deities? You’re in luck! Take a brief tour through gender diversity in Mesopotamian, Hindu, and Norse mythology—and it’s just scratching the surface! Leigh and Gretchen round off their conversation with a look at two modern artists who questioned and transcended gender norms in their lives and art: Anton Prinner and Frida Kahlo. So pull up a chair and hang out with a couple of gayvenclaws to, retroactively, celebrate pride and art beyond the binary!

A Closer Look at Trancestor Artists: Watch Our DMA Slide Show

Transcestors: A Look at Art Beyond the Binary

Gretchen and Leigh Find Gay Things at the DMA!

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So Excite!

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Holy cow…

So official!

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Etruscans

Their underworld was gay.

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Because they’re Hapi

Clap along if you feel like a god with two genders.

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Our favorite communist, bisexual, anti-colonialist, Picasso hating artist, Frida!

That’s it for History is Gay live from the DMA!

If you want to learn more about the differently gendered deities in mythology, Anton Prinner, or Frida Kahlo, check out our full list of sources and further reading below!

Mythology

Anton Prinner

Frida Kahlo

Until next time, stay queer and stay curious!

20. More Than Meets the Eye(brow): Frida Kahlo

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In this episode, Gretchen and Leigh talk about Frida Kahlo, a Mexican artist best known for her many self-portraits and for works inspired by nature and the culture and artifacts of Mexico. She may be known for her unibrow, but that’s far from the most important aspect of her art or her story or her art. In keeping with her self-exploration of identity in her paintings, we’re going to explore one of the things least well known about her: that she had relationships with men and women! That’s right, this famous postcolonial, multiracial, disabled artist was bisexual!

A Closer Look at Frida Kahlo

Frida, age 6, 1913. For this and other rare photos of her childhood, Click here.

Frida, age 6, 1913. For this and other rare photos of her childhood, Click here.

Frida (right), age 9, and her sisters. photo taken by her father, 1916.

Frida (right), age 9, and her sisters. photo taken by her father, 1916.

Frida (center) with her sisters and a younger male cousin, 1926. For this and other rare photos of Frida in the 1920s, click here.

Frida (center) with her sisters and a younger male cousin, 1926. For this and other rare photos of Frida in the 1920s, click here.

Mural for the ministry of education, by Diego Rivera, 1929, featuring Frida Kahlo (bottom left, front).

Mural for the ministry of education, by Diego Rivera, 1929, featuring Frida Kahlo (bottom left, front).

Here you can see why Frida’s father called them, “The Elephant and the Dove.” Frida and Diego Rivera, 1932.

Here you can see why Frida’s father called them, “The Elephant and the Dove.” Frida and Diego Rivera, 1932.

A photo from Toni Frissell’s vogue shoot of Frida, 1937.

A photo from Toni Frissell’s vogue shoot of Frida, 1937.

Frida (Left) with Josephine Baker (Right) in paris, 1939.

Frida (Left) with Josephine Baker (Right) in paris, 1939.

Frida Kahlo (center) with Nayantara Sahgal and Rita Dar, 1947.

Frida Kahlo (center) with Nayantara Sahgal and Rita Dar, 1947.

MIguel n. Lira’s Tabla con Diferentes Frasas y Firmas signed by friends, including frida kahlo, fellow member of “los Cachuchas,” 1948.

MIguel n. Lira’s Tabla con Diferentes Frasas y Firmas signed by friends, including frida kahlo, fellow member of “los Cachuchas,” 1948.

Close up of frida’s note to Miguel n. lira: “hermano de siempre no te olvides de la cahucha no 9, Frida Kahlo”— “Forever brother, do not forget la Cachucha no. 9, Frida Kahlo.” Alongside it is her doodle of herself wearing the cap for which the grou…

Close up of frida’s note to Miguel n. lira: “hermano de siempre no te olvides de la cahucha no 9, Frida Kahlo”— “Forever brother, do not forget la Cachucha no. 9, Frida Kahlo.” Alongside it is her doodle of herself wearing the cap for which the group was named, 1948.

Kahlo and Chavela Vargas by Tina Modotti, 1950.

Kahlo and Chavela Vargas by Tina Modotti, 1950.

Chavela Vargas performing “La Llorona” in Frida starring Selma Hayak as Frida Kahlo!

Frida in her garden with two fo her dogs, by gisle Freund, circa 1950. For this and other photos by Gisle Freund, Click here.

Frida in her garden with two fo her dogs, by gisle Freund, circa 1950. For this and other photos by Gisle Freund, Click here.

Frida’s studio with her wheelchair and adjustable easel, on display at La Casa Azul museum in Mexico.

Frida’s studio with her wheelchair and adjustable easel, on display at La Casa Azul museum in Mexico.

Frida Kahlo’s death mask, also on display at La Casa Azul museum in Mexico.

Frida Kahlo’s death mask, also on display at La Casa Azul museum in Mexico.

A Selection of Frida Kahlo’s Paintings

Henry ford hospital, 1932.

Henry ford hospital, 1932.

Two nudes in a forest, 1939.

Two nudes in a forest, 1939.

Self portrait with cropped hair, 1941.

Self portrait with cropped hair, 1941.

Self portrait with monkey and parrot, 1942.

Self portrait with monkey and parrot, 1942.

The broken column, 1944.

The broken column, 1944.

The Love Embrace of the Universe, the Earth (Mexico), Myself, Diego, and Señor Xolotl, 1949.

The Love Embrace of the Universe, the Earth (Mexico), Myself, Diego, and Señor Xolotl, 1949.

still life (dedicated to samuel fastlicht), 1951.

still life (dedicated to samuel fastlicht), 1951.

Living Nature, 1952.

Living Nature, 1952.