Ana Mendieta - Body and Earth
I wrote an essay on earth artist Ana Mendieta for one of my final essays for my under-grad degree. I had never looked into her work before, but it's pretty interesting, so I thought I would share it here too. Fig 1. Untitled (from the Silueta series) 1973-1977. 1973. Silver dye bleach print. Femininity and the earth are intrinsically linked; they are synonymous with the word ‘mother’. Both are the foundation for life yet disrespected by those they birth. This connection between the feminine and the earth is explored through Ana Mendieta’s artwork, along with a continued theme of pain and violence, which have also become synonymous with the feminine experience. Some see this as pairing of women and earth as an essentialist notion, but I want to argue that the presence of the earth provides comfort and nurture to a woman who has no choice but to be assigned to a cycle of experiencing pain. Her artwork also explores the notion of co-existence and communion, which becomes ...
