ana mendieta: silueta series introduction

another art history article highlighting one of my faves

the silueta series by ana mendieta

la venus negra - ana mendieta [galerie lelong & co.]

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in the 1970’s and early 80’s, cuban-american 
artist ana mendieta created her silueta series. 
these artworks or performance pieces involved 
the artist imprinting, carving, sculpting, even
burning silhouetted images of her body into 
(onto?) various landscapes, primarily in iowa and 
mexico.

mendieta documented the series in photographs 
or film. she would also perform her work in the 
presence of a small audience, such as students or 
other artists. all of her siluetas are ephemeral, 
only living now in photographs or in the memories
of the ones who were present in the making.

                   “i feel best when the creative process is physical…
                    when the whole body is part of a piece i feel one.”
                    - ana mendieta

one: 
here is a silueta dug into the mexican shoreline,
her arms are raised towards the sky, towards another
end of the earth. in the next few days the salt sea will 
wash away the imprint. each time the ocean passes the
work changes, she floods, the outline grows smoother,
the seafoam swirls over her body. 

two: 
here the body is present. we’re in yagul, mexico
where tradition reigns. in a zapotec tomb, mendieta’s
body lays bare and white baby’s breath flowers cover
her, blending her body into the landscape. 

three:
i’m dousing my body in gunpowder and setting 
her on fire. 
you can either run or watch the flames touch the sky.

|ana mendieta was a cuban-born exile. under 
operation peter pan, [a united states clandestine 
operation to migrate around 14,000 children in 
order to flee castro’s government] mendieta and 
her sister were transported to iowa in nineteen 
sixty-one, where she lived in various foster homes 
until she was finally reunited with her mother in 
nineteen sixty-six and her father in seventy-nine.|

|mendieta attend the university of iowa where 
she earned her ba and ma in painting and mfa 
in intermedia. her work has always involved 
spiritualism, feminism, body art, land art, and art 
that highlights violence women face. in her silueta 
series, her body belongs back to earth, back to an 
ancient source.|

                     manifesto of land art: we [the artists] are tired of the
                     white-walled gallery, the commercialization of art, the
                     cold minimalists. let's go back to the source of human
                     creativity. let's go back to mud brick, to caves. 

“i have been carrying out a dialogue between 
the landscape and the female body (based 
on my own silhouette). i believe this has been 
a direct result of my having been torn from 
my homeland (Cuba) during my adolescence. 
i am overwhelmed by the feeling of having been 
cast from the womb (nature). my art is the way i 
re-establish the bonds that unite me to the 
universe. it is a return to the maternal source.” 
- ana mendieta

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silhueta works in mexico

galerie lelong & co

richard saltoun

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