This was the quote that initially inspired me to study Jenny Saville for the comparative essay. My chosen drawings are Ana Mendieta “Untitled (Body Tracks)” made in 1974, and Jenny Saville “The Mothers” made in 2011. Initially I was drawn to the rawness of both of these drawings, having previously looked at; but not studied these artists in depth, I knew there was more under the surface that I wanted to explore.
Ana Mendieta’s “Untitled (Body Tracks)” is a short film in which Mendieta performs. Both of her hands are covered in blood and stands facing the wall, hands raised above her head against the white surface, and slowly drops to her knees; dragging her hands down the surface of the paper as a primitive track of movement. These pieces of paper were taken down from the wall by the artist in an attempt to preserve some evidence of the event. They appear now as works of art in their own right. There is something so incredibly raw about this piece which intrigued me to look at it further.
In other works she used sticks, blood, dirt and plants. Her work has the feeling of a pagan ritual. It is somehow both haunting and life-affirming.
‘My art is grounded in the belief of one universal energy which runs through everything ...’—- Ana Mendieta …show more content…
This is a self-portrait, in which Saville depicts herself heavily pregnant and clutching a pair of wriggling infants. Perhaps what I find so interesting about this piece is the accumulation of charcoal lines that encapsulates the trio's rosy bodies. The mass of lines and overlaid images creates a flurry of movement, completely opposite to that of Ana Mendietas in her piece “Untitled (Body Tracks)”. The two pieces present very different ideas of movement: Jenny Saville being more chaotic, sketch like movements to allude to the idea of disorder. Whereas Ana Mendieta has one very deliberate, strong and meaningful
Ana Mendieta’s “Untitled (Body Tracks)” is a short film in which Mendieta performs. Both of her hands are covered in blood and stands facing the wall, hands raised above her head against the white surface, and slowly drops to her knees; dragging her hands down the surface of the paper as a primitive track of movement. These pieces of paper were taken down from the wall by the artist in an attempt to preserve some evidence of the event. They appear now as works of art in their own right. There is something so incredibly raw about this piece which intrigued me to look at it further.
In other works she used sticks, blood, dirt and plants. Her work has the feeling of a pagan ritual. It is somehow both haunting and life-affirming.
‘My art is grounded in the belief of one universal energy which runs through everything ...’—- Ana Mendieta …show more content…
This is a self-portrait, in which Saville depicts herself heavily pregnant and clutching a pair of wriggling infants. Perhaps what I find so interesting about this piece is the accumulation of charcoal lines that encapsulates the trio's rosy bodies. The mass of lines and overlaid images creates a flurry of movement, completely opposite to that of Ana Mendietas in her piece “Untitled (Body Tracks)”. The two pieces present very different ideas of movement: Jenny Saville being more chaotic, sketch like movements to allude to the idea of disorder. Whereas Ana Mendieta has one very deliberate, strong and meaningful