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Ana Mendieta Research Paper

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Ana Mendieta was a Cuban, American Artist born in 1948. She explored themes of Female identity and gender stereotype and identity within a conservative society. A lot of her work is inspired by her Cuban heritage, utilising the natural environment, found and human objects, which she expressed with performance, sculpture, painting and video. In 1961 Mendieta escaped the Castro regime in Cuba with her older sister to the United States of America where they lived in refugee camps, institutions and foster homes until they became reunited with their mother five years later. At the age of 29 Mendieta left the University of Iowa after receiving an MA in painting and MFA in intermedia. Mendieta made over seventy films and tapes that catalogue her art. …show more content…

She presents the performance with a series of 7 photos, the first four record the process involved the process of the transplant and the last three consist of Marty Sklar’s portrait and two of Ana Mendieta’s finished appearance, in two positions. Subjectively the artwork talks about issues of a gendered and sexist society and ideals of beauty. Mendieta shows the influence of cultural identity with gendered fashion ideals by the ironic portrayal of putting facial hair onto her face, which is the reverse to what majority of the population endure in their routine depilation process expected of them by society. Mendieta employs the use of three main elements of design to affectively portray her issues, such as colour, size, and lighting. In the performance colour is a significant use of design as it correlates as symbolism for blood which is a major theme in Mendieta’s work. She uses blood or symbols of blood to draw attention to issues of violence against women, and cultural identity. In the starting frame Mendieta is seen as smaller compared to her male friend but as the performance progresses the shot develops closer to her filling the frame until she is fully moustached shown equally alongside Sklar. Another significant element is the lighting composed of in the

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