Though on an inspirational work: Siluetas by Ana Mendieta
In the sunny Pérez art museum of Miami, inside a room brought together by a strong presence of landscapes and nature, we find the work of Cuban artist Ana Mendieta.
Titled Silueta, Mendieta reveals a series of photographs – part of a wider production of over 100 prints.
Compared to other items in this particular room of the museum, Mendieta’s photographs are almost buried in the background. On first impression these photographs are simple and small next to the other pieces of art in the room, but with a closer look we can see that these are not some ordinary pictures; there’s a reason why the curator included them in this particular ensemble.
Placed by themselves against one of the biggest walls in the gallery – opposite a massive painting of the Cuban coast – we can see 12 pictures set in a line, almost mimicking the horizontal line of the sea. Intertwined formats throughout the exhibition create a sense of rhythm, as though the work is moving. Most of the images lack sharpness, as to indicate that Ana wasn’t aiming for a perfect image, but rather a powerful message. The presence of the female body repeats itself in all of the photographs. Each “earthy body art” has a raw and powerful character. Each feels different and unique in doing so. There’s a clear subject matter, representing female empowerment and, simultaneously, feminine vulnerability. Frame by frame there’s the contrast of the sculptures, made with the artist’s body, against the nature of the background and the natural light. In some of them the sculpture almost blends in with its surroundings – delicate flowers, mud and dirt – whereas in others there’s a presence of blood and death that’s impossible to ignore.
The four basic elements of nature all feature heavily within the work, complimenting and contrasting one another to emit the turbulent nature of her existence and perhaps the human condition in general.
Ana Mendieta is famous for breaking the barriers between art disciplines, juggling the almost impossible task of being photographer, videographer, sculptor and art performer all at once. Despite the experimentation with different disciplines, she always seems to go back to the same topics. Having to flee Cuba when she was young made the island and it’s culture a recurrent subject in her work.
She’s also known for her pioneering feminist views that have been a key element to her art. We can see both of these things mixed in the exhibition since she uses goddess deities of Santeria – an old Cuban religion- as the aesthetic of this series of pictures.
As a Latin-American female immigrant myself, I feel deeply attached to Mendieta’s work. I feel her art can transcend the walls of the museum to be the cornerstone for future Latin American feminists. Her art is timeless and universal, it calls for social change. Her faceless bodies in the nature landscape can be attached to all women out there looking for an identity.
germansingergirl
janainaart
romaincrisis
ellievsbear
stormborns
2087
snowghoul