The Body in Art - Ana Mendieta
Ana Mendieta (1948-1985) was a Cuban American performance artist, sculptor, painter and video artist. She was born in Havanna however at the age of 12 she and her sister were sent to the United States through a collaborative programme run by the US and Catholic charities to flee Fidel Castro’s dictatorship - 14000 children emigrated to the US on their own during this process. She spent her first few weeks in refugee camps and then moved around various foster homes and institutions. In 1966 Mendieta was reunited with her mother and brother. Her father joined them in 1979 after having spent 18 years in a political prison. This was clearly very traumatic for her being away from both her family and her culture. This has had a huge impact on her art. At the University of Iowa she studied art and intermedia. At university her work focused on blood and violence towards women. Her interest in spiritual things and primitive rituals developed during this time. She said that she faced a gr...