Ana Mendieta was a sculptor, painter, video, and performance artist who had created an earth-body art series, Siluetas, for many reasons; as well as a way to mimic her own life and her culture of origin. Mendieta had said that the making of her silueta in nature as a form of art was “..a way of reclaiming (her) roots and becoming one with nature.”
At twelve years old in 1961, Ana Mendieta was sent by her parents to the United States from Havana, Cuba. This was a turbulent time in her country of origin because of the communist Fidel Castro's rise to power. With the help of Operation Peter Pan, as a refugee she spent some time in foster homes in Iowa with her sister until she was reunited with her mother and brother in 1966. Some artists can …show more content…
Mirrored in history, it can also represent the expulsion of indigenous peoples in Central America and beyond. [4] One can argue that Ana's work is neither social or political, but it was simply there for her to express herself. It is possible that could be true, but she affected many people socially and politically, before her death and on through today.
Ana Mendieta's work “Tree of Life” in the Art History book stood out to me at first, because it looked like a bronze statue. It reminded me of ancient or romantic works, mother nature taking a hold, or perhaps she was a woman turning into a tree. Once I realized that it was a person covered in mud, along with other things, I thought that was brilliant. After I found more about her, I found a silueta of hers that spoke to me on another level.
A silhouette in the sand of a beach at La Ventosa, Mexico, arms slightly up, with red tempera scattered inside the form. I could only imagine the figure slowly disappearing as the water washed it away. This work was like many of her others, but I became fascinated with it. Not only could I somehow relate to her story, very loosely, but I saw her work as being in the fantasy genre which I thoroughly enjoy. Fantasy tends to encompass many natural tendencies, but also harnesses a bit of magic, which seems like a great find in the art …show more content…
[2] We could never get the full effect of her original pieces unless we were there, that much is true, but through the slides and film strips we see of hers, we know she wanted her work to be seen, distributed, and known throughout the art world and beyond. It would be impossible to get the same quality or effect as a performance piece, or an earth-body work, but the idea would still get across to the viewer.
Though Ana Mendieta died thirty years ago, her ideas and works are still being celebrated today, inspiring many artists and women all around the world. Since her death, there have been many protests in support of her. Even in the past few years, there have been public outcries in support of her. The protests are usually at her husband Carl Andre's exhibitions, and usually to bring attention to the suspicious circumstances surrounding Ana's
At twelve years old in 1961, Ana Mendieta was sent by her parents to the United States from Havana, Cuba. This was a turbulent time in her country of origin because of the communist Fidel Castro's rise to power. With the help of Operation Peter Pan, as a refugee she spent some time in foster homes in Iowa with her sister until she was reunited with her mother and brother in 1966. Some artists can …show more content…
Mirrored in history, it can also represent the expulsion of indigenous peoples in Central America and beyond. [4] One can argue that Ana's work is neither social or political, but it was simply there for her to express herself. It is possible that could be true, but she affected many people socially and politically, before her death and on through today.
Ana Mendieta's work “Tree of Life” in the Art History book stood out to me at first, because it looked like a bronze statue. It reminded me of ancient or romantic works, mother nature taking a hold, or perhaps she was a woman turning into a tree. Once I realized that it was a person covered in mud, along with other things, I thought that was brilliant. After I found more about her, I found a silueta of hers that spoke to me on another level.
A silhouette in the sand of a beach at La Ventosa, Mexico, arms slightly up, with red tempera scattered inside the form. I could only imagine the figure slowly disappearing as the water washed it away. This work was like many of her others, but I became fascinated with it. Not only could I somehow relate to her story, very loosely, but I saw her work as being in the fantasy genre which I thoroughly enjoy. Fantasy tends to encompass many natural tendencies, but also harnesses a bit of magic, which seems like a great find in the art …show more content…
[2] We could never get the full effect of her original pieces unless we were there, that much is true, but through the slides and film strips we see of hers, we know she wanted her work to be seen, distributed, and known throughout the art world and beyond. It would be impossible to get the same quality or effect as a performance piece, or an earth-body work, but the idea would still get across to the viewer.
Though Ana Mendieta died thirty years ago, her ideas and works are still being celebrated today, inspiring many artists and women all around the world. Since her death, there have been many protests in support of her. Even in the past few years, there have been public outcries in support of her. The protests are usually at her husband Carl Andre's exhibitions, and usually to bring attention to the suspicious circumstances surrounding Ana's