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Before you gasp and accuse me of anti-feminist blasphemy, I will clarify my position and then steer you to an article that will elaborate far more eloquently. Frida Kahlo’s life story is interesting. It is a noteworthy, worth-knowing piece of history unto itself. However, her widespread, mainstream, commercial appeal has nothing to do with the quality of work, and everything to do with her story. 
Her work is measurably less extraordinary, and this is reflected by her disproportionate lack of critical acclaim compared to her widespread popularity.
And yes, the same can be said of most contemporary art that crosses over into the mainstream. I feel the same way about Andy Warhol and a myriad of other artists. But Frida is on the main stage at the SFMOMA right now while Lee Miller is stashed in a corner.
It’s interesting, how masses of people latch onto something, buy tickets in advance, play dress-up, push through an exhibit like herded cattle, buy their paper flowers and altarpieces, and then walk out feeling as though what they just witnessed, and participated in, was high art.
It bears a closer resemblance to Disney.
Where are all of those same people when a more acclaimed, lesser known female artist hits SFMOMA?
I get the significance of a female latina artist rising to the level of mass appeal. I think it’s terrific. What I am saying is, if lesser known, more critically deserving artists were to achieve even a small fraction of the recognition that Frida garners? It could further a lot of diverse social, political, and cultural agendas. I’m just sayin…
So a plea then, to support the arts all of the time, and not just when the circus comes to town.
Okay now the more eloquent version I promised before launching into this diatribe:
