Isa Oliva Artist Response 2015
Ana Mendieta was a Cuban American
performance artist/sculptor/video artist.
she was living in the united states
after she arrived as a refugee. Her work was prominent in the 70's and early
80's. Ana's work for the most part was autobiographical an revolved around the
themes of feminism violence life death place and belonging.Ana's earth body
sculpture's (Silueta series) Ana created female silhouettes with her naked body
using the earth as her media and also using other natural materials such as
sand,blood,grass. Mendieta used her work to reestablish her bonds with her
maternal source which is cuba, she was torn from her homeland at a very young
age this overwhelmed her and i believe left her wounded for many years. In her
silueta series which in my opinion is her most beautiful and impactful work she
has done, the simple act of her imprinting her body onto the earth helped her
heal or reconnect with the earth, her womb which she was stripped from. Ana
Mendieta's is one of the few artists that i feel i can seriously relate to. In
a way i was stripped of my home but in the sense of feeling at home. which i
believe is something Ana struggled with and pursued to heal or find through her
work.
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Ana
Mendieta was a Cuban American performace artist/sculptor/video artist. She was
living in the united states as a refugee after her and her younger sister fled
cuba.Her work was prominent in the 70's and early 80's. Ana's work for the most
part was autobiographical and revolved around the themes of feminism violence
life death place and belonging. Ana's earth body sculpture's (silueta series)
Ana created female silhouettes with her naked body using the earth as her media
and also using other materials such as sand,blood,grass. Mendieta was trying to
reestablish her bonds with her maternal source which is Cuba, she was torn from
her homeland at a very young age. I believe this experience left her wounded
for many years and is was made her explore themes of place and belonging. In
her silueta series which in my opinion is her most beautiful and impactful work
that she has done, the simple act of her imprinting her body onto the earth
helped her heal and reconnect with the earth her womb which she was stripped
from. Ana's work as a whole, I don’t think she was just talking about one thing
but everything she was interested in tied in one way or another, I Admire Ana's
honesty, she made people have to confront her work and not be able to get away
from it she talked about things that people were in denial about or just
refused to speak about cause the topics were to gruesome. Ana Mendieta is one
of the only artist's I feel I can seriously relate to.