Andy & Ana Writing Assignment - Angel Cortez

Andy Warhol was born on August 6, 1928 in Pittsburgh, PA.  He was raised by his Slovakian parents.  At the age of 8, he got a rare disease, which caused him to stay in bed for months.  During that time, his mother started giving him drawing lessons and in no time he ended up loving it.  One year later, his mother also gave him a camera as a gift and eventually got into photography and started developing film from his own darkroom he made in his basement.  During elementary and high school, he took free art classes that was offered by the school.  At the age of 14, his father passed away, and because he saw Andy's talent, in his will, he decided to give away his life savings towards Andy's college education.  Once he graduated high school, he went on to college and received his Bachelor of Fine Arts degree. After that, he moved to New York City and began working in commercial illustration for magazines.  From then, his work gained fame and because of that he was known as one of the best commercial artists.  He then dedicated to make an art studio named "The Factory".  He used it to make broaden his work, such as using models (as well as himself for self portraits).  Unfortunately in 1968 he was shot but survived.  He then took self-portraits more frequently, using his wounds as art.  Later in 1969, he was taken for surgery, while it was a success, he soon faced some sort of complications and soon passed away.  (Biography.com)
His childhood as well as his early work played a major influence in the popular work he made in his career.  His idea to use advertisement as art (also for business) is what made the "pop art" theme.  He quoted "making money is art and working is art, and good business is the best art."  His self portraits really demonstrates more on the kind of person he is.  In the book entitled The Art of Self Invention, there is a quote about an image of Andy that states "In the image, a pair of strong hands encircle his throat, choking him.  But the hands are not Andy's, and this is supposed to be a self-portrait.  Thus we are forced to ask, who is choking him?  Warhol is representing himself as a readily consumable commodity being chocked by a society that transforms everyone into a celebrity and makes them into objects of amusement for others."(Finkelstein 179-180)  Not only were his wounds being used, but also other elements, such as someone else's hands.  It really shows that Andy's last pieces of work made him into an artist who not only uses advertisement, but also uses identity, especially for himself.

Ana Mendieta was born on November 14, 1948 in Havana, Cuba.  At the age of twelve, she, as well as her sister, were forced to migrate to the U.S. due to the proposal of Operation Peter Pan.  They only had each other when they were forced into foster care and attend school.  Their mutual interest in art helped them adapt to their new environment.  Eventually six years later they reunite with their mother, as well as their younger brother.  Then in 1979, they reunite with their father as well.  After high school, she attended college to study French and Art.  During her time in college, she started experimenting in her artwork.  She used several themes, such as domestic violence and cultural marginalization.  In 1973, there was an on-campus rape and murder, which inspired Ana to create pieces using her body to provoke the action.  She used animal blood to represent rape, which frightened a lot of people who've seen her work.  In 1980, she returned to Cuba, using it's nature for her artwork as well.  After she got her Masters in Fine Arts, she moved to New York where she got to know many female artists and was later part of a feminist movement.  She then was invited to Rome to earn a prestigious award.  When she was invited a second, she suddenly died by falling 33 floors out of a window. (Theartstory.org)
The rape and murder event really inspired Ana into the domestic violence theme.  She used blood to represent rape and it left a powerful message to viewers.  Her work gained her popularity not just around campus, but soon the country (and the world, if that already happened).  She wanted to spread awareness on domestic violence, so that society could follow that awareness and make sure nothing tragic happens again.
Her trip to Cuba also inspired her to a more cultural/natural theme.  She took full body photos of her camouflaging with nature, such as trees and grass.  She also made silhouettes the ground, such as dirt, water, grass, and sand. All of these elements are what define on where she came from, in other words, her homeland.

Andy and Ana had mostly different themes in their artwork.  Andy focused more on pop culture while Ana focused mostly on nature and domestic violence.  However, their self-portraits do share one theme, and that is the body.  Andy's wounds and Ana's camouflage would show off their body as a message of their identity.  It's ironic how even though a lot of their work do not compare with each other, there are only a few that do, all it took was just a picture of themselves.

Work Cited

“Ana Mendieta's Life and Legacy.” The Art Story, www.theartstory.org/artist-mendieta-ana-life-and-legacy.htm.

“Andy Warhol.” Biography.com, A&E Networks Television, 1 June 2018, www.biography.com/people/andy-warhol-9523875.

Finkelstein, Joanne. The Art of Self Invention: Image and Identity in Popular Visual Culture. I.B. Tauris, 2007.

"Advertising is one of the most dynamic industries of the past hundred years.  It has global reach, and it commands vast amounts of money." (Finkelstein 147)

"In the image, a pair of strong hands encircle his throat, choking him.  But the hands are not Andy's, and this is supposed to be a self-portrait.  Thus we are forced to ask, who is choking him?  Warhol is representing himself as a readily consumable commodity being chocked by a society that transforms everyone into a celebrity and makes them into objects of amusement for others." (Finkelstein 179-180)

"Every social moment is always on the edge of collapse into chaos and disorder, we must always be poised to spring to its resuscitation and reinvention." (Finkelstein 115)

"The history of the self is a persistent theme in the rise of the middle classes.  The desire to be self-made, to have control over one's life and be free are not vanities of will but the everyday expectations of the modern, new individual.  The quest for adventure through democratization and social mobility, are predicated on the existence of a striving, centered, coherent self." (Finkelstein 132)

Ana and Andy

Ana Mendieta is a revolutionary artist that have taken are outside of the box and took are to a whole style. She was a revolutionary in her art craft just as making self-portraits of herself and warping it to something new. Just like another artist that have took art work to a whole another level and he is Andy Warhol. There are many similarity and differences between these two great minds.

Similarities between these two artists is the fact that they were both relieved from school at a premature age to do a drastic condition. They dabbled in art when they were bed riddled both used arts to pass their time and to stimulate their mind. They both used their surroundings and their emotions dictate their art work and they both like to take other people ideas in to consideration to make her biggest pieces. They both were unfortunately subjected to a very premature death.

Differences between Ana and Andy is mostly due to the style and the fact that Ana doesn’t remake anything. Ana he style is to take a picture that describes something like a point or a problem. But she takes the only one to show what she representing she doesn’t replicate in different coloration. Ana’s art is all about being one with the earth and showing their body is a part of their earth and showing the purity of the body and earth. She also wants to show that there is a lot more to women and to see impowered the women body. Now Andy on the other hand want to show that art doesn’t just need to be painted polarized or photographed to be art. Andy wanted to push the boundaries of art and stray away from the typical way of art with is like painting and photography.  He wanted to make a new art form that is surrounded behind the concept of manufacturing art. he wanted to use wanted to use a way to detach from the normal concept of art work and make a art for that is mass produced. Using world news to give him inspiration for his art and using his past to make his manufactured art.

Andy was a part of a poor family that lived in the out skirts of Germany in a small little town he then moved to America during the great depression. This didn’t affect Warhol because he was already poor and didn’t know any different. He lived in a vary small home with 2 bed rooms and had to sleep with his brother on the same bed same bed at times. But he had his family a behind him his mother had a strong art background she was non-only a very talented singer she was a talented artist and she manifested Andy to become what he is. She constantly took Andy to church and exposed him to so much art that that it gets brought back with most of his art work. And was also a kind of feminine man that didn’t gravitate to one sex and never was with anyone. Andy a victim of an assassination attempt that crippled

Ana was a young a higher middle-class child that was large size in her further was involved in politics and there for that dictated why she was selected to go to the USA. she then left her home in Cuba and being involved with money to having nothing. She was with her sister and he was forced to live in a orphanage in Ohio. She was felt as if she was a criminal because of the environment of the orphanage that she was in. she wasn’t aloud to watch tv without getting watched over by the people that she lived with. Ana was comfortable with her sexuality she was a straight woman. Ana was married to a man that was also a powerful art mogul that was well known in New York City. Ana was all a  

More similarities’ is that both Andy and Ana was that they bother where surrounded by social rejects. Andy gravitated to them because he was a social outcast himself and he wanted them around to use them in order to deliver a art that he got to from the soundings. Ana was surrounded by rejects because she had no choice but to she had no other places to go but that orphanage. They both had vary raw and vary controversial art pieces that push the boundaries of that art realm. Andy was about making art that is sounded behind art culture like making a silk screen about public minds. especially if there were to pass way he make art that sort of commemorates them. If Andy isn’t commemorating a person he is making a scary public person a little docile and softening  them out a little and making them less intimidating. 

Ehtisham Tariq - Andy Warhol Selfie

     My selfie is inspired by Andy Warhol because the photo that I have included in this post is Andy Warhol's work. It connects to our readings because in the Finkelstein book, it talks about Advertising and this week's topic is also Advertising. A quote that I would like to use is in the Finkelstein book that states, "Advertising is one of the most dynamic industries of the past hundred years." (pg. 147). I totally agree with this because the way you advertise yourself really matters, especially in the professional world. This is how my selfie relates to the readings.

This is my Andy Warhol selfie. The picture that I was inspired by was:



https://www.google.com/search?q=andy+warhol+artwork&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwi1jYHnpLHeAhUkWN8KHRB7ANAQ_AUIDigB#imgrc=l8u33X1LR8wbkM:

                                                                      References
Finkelstein, Joanne (2005). The Art of Self Invention: Image and Identity in Popular Visual Culture.
https://www.google.com/search?q=andy+warhol+artwork&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwi1jYHnpLHeAhUkWN8KHRB7ANAQ_AUIDigB#imgrc=l8u33X1LR8wbkM:

Andy Warhol and Ana Mendieta

When thinking about famous modern day artists, two notable and prominent artists during the 20^thcentury were Andy Warhol and Ana Mendieta. The work these two artists did were very influential and the impact they had towards modern day culture was grand. Their work essentially gave a deeper meaning to what art really is and what it can be. They made pushed massively for cultural paradigm shifts because they did not like how things were in the world. Both brought about art that was not common and focused on themes that made people question reality and freedom. For Andy Warhol, the themes he emphasized included understanding identity, focusing on the little things that make up life, and how life can be glamorized. Ana Mendieta focused on major themes of feminism, identity, life, belonging, violence and death. The two were not far apart in their themes. One key way they expressed these were by using things and art works that already existed and adding their own touch to them. 

Andy Warhol was the most famous and most well paid artist in the 20^thcentury leading the popular art, or pop art movement. Pop art was different from fine art because popular art had images of popular culture including advertisements and everyday things. Popular art went against what was considered only for the elite and took into account what the rest of the population was doing. With this idea Warhol managed to use something so common and simple as a Campells soup to stem some of his most popular works. Since they were already popular common things, he was able to use them in business as well. The primary art form he used were silkscreens. Silkscreens were mesh stencils used to imprint a picture with ink. Warhol altered his work by using a variety of different colors in different locations and even repeating the images. His mix and match and repetition was unique in silk screening. With the simple everyday images that Warhol used, he wanted people to believe that if they focused the details and the little things in their lives, they would realize how each thing is significant and plays a role. Even though soup seems just like good, tasty food, it is important to help a person grow instead of making them go hungry. 

The other important theme that Andy Warhol focused on was distributing celebrity fame to everyone. He wanted to put everyone on the tv for at least 15 minutes, hence the term “15 minutes of fame.” He silk screened a lot of famous celebrities such as Marilyn Monroe but also mostly used models who were not exactly known or famous. In fact, he used models who were considered very different from the public. These models included people who were homosexuals, crossdressers, and stowaways. He not only made them known but he also made their personalities known. Finkelstein wrote that, “The idea that character and personality are both immanent in appearance still exerts a strong influence even though it is riddled with ambiguities. (Finklestein 129)” This is important because every person has a personality and by capturing personality over simply appearance in pictures, it allows viewers to understand the muses more. This can be connected to today’s social media because people are constantly posting pictures of themselves and writing captions. 

Ana also strongly disliked the notion that people, especially women are judged solely from their appearance. Ana Mendieta often used her body and the imprint of it in nature in her work. She was extremely fond of nature and believed that mind, body, and spirit could be strengthened by being one with the maternal source; mother nature. Ana recorded herself nude creating the imprint, or silhouette of her body into the ground. She did this in dirt, sand, rocks and even blood. The silhouettes not only made a connection with the Earth but also allowed her to express her feelings and identity. In 1973, Ana made the piece Untitled (Rape Scene) where she covered herself in blood and was tied to a table insinuating invitation. She made it because she was extremely upset that a women in her school was raped and murdered. Her art was an extension of her beliefs and a form of her expressions.

Another one of the works that Ana made was Untitled (glass on body) and it gave power to the women. The photographs included Mendieta nude with glass distorting her body. Knowing that men liked the bodies of women, she made her body unappealing to them. She was still open, her body was still hers, but it no longer had the attention of men. “On the one hand the individualism of the artist…the owner: on the other hand, the person who is the object of their activities – the woman – treated as a thing or an abstraction. (Berger 62)”

The messages and expressions that the Andy Warhol and Ana Mendieta gave were stemmed from and also were a reflection of their lives. Both Andy Warhol and Ana Mendieta grew up in a struggling setting. Growing up Andy Warhol had several illnesses, physical ailments, and did not have much because at the time the country was in the Great Depression. Due to his illnesses, he did not always go to school and he had a hard time communicating with people. In addition, he had a neurological disorder that made him have involuntary movements and he also had issues with parts of skin having a different color from the rest. He was often made fun of. This made image important to Andy and he wanted to seek the attention of people. 

Ana Mendieta was originally from Cuba but was split from her parents when Fidel Castro overthrew the government. She was sent to America as a refugee with her sister and they moved place to place until they finally had a permanent foster home. Her works often were related to home, place, and boundaries referring to her exiled status and how it affected it. Throughout her years in school and especially in college, she noticed that women were not on equal status as men and they were often objectified. This drove Ana to create works inspiring woman.

In short, both Andy Warhol and Ana Mendieta represented their ideas of identity, equality, and life in general, as well as their own in their work. They were different because not only did they not support the majority, but instead they pushed for a change in social expectations. The following quote by Finkelstein is a representation of what Warhol and Mendieta did not do when they embraced their own selves and the selves of others. "Being well mannered and socially adept enables the individual to avoid being a joke and minimizes the risk of humiliation or schadenfreude" (Finklestein 78). For the reason that they were not afraid to risk everything for being themselves especially when they faced adversity, they became prominently and successfully famous.

"Self-portrait of Andy Warhol"

"Campbell's soup I"

"Untitled: Glass on body"

"Tree of life"

References

      Berger, John (1990). Ways of Seeing: Based on the BBC Television Series (Penguin Books for Art). New York, NY. 1^st Edition. 78,129.

           Finkelstein, Joanne (2005). The Art of Self Invention: Image and Identity in Popular Visual Culture. 62.

d    “Ana Mendieta Overview and Analysis.” The Art Story, www.theartstory.org/artist-mendieta-ana.htm.

“Andy Warhol Most Important Art | TheArtStory.” The Art Story, www.theartstory.org/artist-warhol-andy-artworks.htm.

“Andy Warhol's Life.” The Andy Warhol Museum, www.warhol.org/andy-warhols-life/.

      

    

writing assignment

"The uniqueness of every painting was once part of the uniqueness of the place where it was resired". (Berger 19). Starting with this quotes, explains to us that every picture and every story behid it is unique in its own way. Art has been used by different people to express their feelings concerning something or some problems that affect society. But most people have used this art to voice their opinions concerning a particular subject.  Andy Warhol and Ana Mendieta are some of the artists that have proven their work of art. In their actions, they have given expressed different themes. For instance, if we look at the works of Andy Warhol, his work has been based on the subject of boredom (Cupchik, Gerald C., et al. 85). Looking at his artworks like sleep and empire all necessitate the theme of being bored. The actions of Andy Warhol have been incorporated into films which are played. All this brings out the subject of boredom intentionally.

On the other hand, if we look at the works of Ana Mendieta, the central theme that prevails is the theme of violence. "Manners are about strategies of social exclusion; they define the individual's thesholds of tolerance of what is acceptable or not". (Art of self invention 78). In the artist work of Ana, she has concentrated on the art of violence that took place. She has mainly talked about the abuse that was faced by women. "She is not naked as she is. she is naked as the spectator sees he" (Berger 50). For example, in her work of "Sweet Blood," she has explained some of the violence that women suffered in their daily lives and the effects that this violence had in them.

The artistic works were mainly influenced by the biographies of the two artists. Ana Mendieta was born in Cuba but grew up in the United States. She grew up in foster homes and orphanages. She was sent to these places by the mother due to the fear of the revolution that was taking place (Muñoz 190). This developed the feeling of exile and displacement which in the years to come became her central part of interest. She talked about the violence that women underwent and sought to fight for the rights of the women against being exposed to violence. But looking at Andy Warhol, his works were attributed to his biography, but the forces are different from those Ana Mendieta. He worked and lived a luxurious type of life that he never enjoyed (Warhol 25). This seemed boredom to him and thus anticipated the developments of his works on art that majorly expressed weariness.

The lives that the two artists lived influenced their works in art. For instance, looking at the type of experience that Ana Mendieta lived, like in the foster homes and the orphanages. This was not because she was an orphan but because her mother was afraid of the revolution was taking place. During this time, women were subjected to violence that resulted in their bodies being injured. In her artistical work, she has portrayed herself with some blood flowing the head to show the force and the effects of it that it had on the women (Muñoz 195). On the other hand, Andy Warhol artistical work was influenced by the nature of the lifestyle that he and the people around him lived (Warhol 30). The lifestyle was boring, and thus he showed this through his works like "sleep."

The two artists came to be identical to the masses mainly from the works of their arts. For instance, Andy Warhol started Pop artist who has become to the famous in the world today. "Some kinds of dress and body decoration make the identity of the individual highly visible, while others disguise it". (Art of self invention 127). He also used to paint that made him get a contract with bigger companies like Coca-Cola. Ana Mendieta also came famous from the works of her arts. She was one the well-known feminist in the country. She advocated for the rights of the rights of women. During this time, women were subjected to violence that affected their health. She was a victim of such mother and therefore advocated for the rights of through the use of her arts. She expressed the violence that women endured and the effects it had on the health of women. This made her synonymous with her work. 

The two artists used all the available resources to express their feelings. They needed to make sure that the message they were passing was well understood by everybody. For instance, Andy Warhol produced "sleep" which was incorporated into a video. Having made it to a video, people watched and saw the message that he was trying to convey (Cupchik, Gerald C., et al. 87). Ana Mendieta on the other hand drew arts of her picture with blood flowing from the head to anticipate the fate of women on violence and the effects that it brought women. This way, her message was received by many and women started to join these feminist groups to help fight for their rights.

The material and techniques that they decided to use were important. The elements were essential to help necessitate the content, and the weight of what they are trying to advocate for a while the techniques that they used was necessary to help spread the content of their work. This was important as it is from this that they messages could be received by the masses and be weighed upon. These materials and techniques have spread their works making them famous in the country and abroad.

Looking at the works of the two artists, both came to be known due to the actions of their arts. Taking, for example, Andy Warhol, he became to be famous because of the pop artist. Most of the people have come like it in spite of some of them being boring which is also the central theme of the works of Andy Warhol (Stanco et al 115). Ana Mendieta has become to be known because of her artworks. She advocated for the rights of women. She was against the violence of women. Looking at the actions of the two individuals, they came to invent themselves because of the presentation of their works.

Ana mendiata critisim

Ana Mendiata self portrait 

Andy warhol  self portrait in drag

Andy warhol Marlyene Monro

Work cited

                     Berger, John (1990). Ways of Seeing: Based on the BBC Television Series (Penguin Books for Art). New York, NY. 1^st Edition.

   Finkelstein, Joanne (2005). The Art of Self Invention: Image and Identity in Popular Visual Culture.

Cupchik, Gerald C., et al. "Viewing artworks: contributions of cognitive control and perceptual facilitation to aesthetic experience." Brain and cognition 70.1 (2009):.

Muñoz, José Esteban. "Vitalism's after-burn: The sense of Ana Mendieta." Women & Performance: a journal of feminist theory 21.2 (2011): 191-198.

Stanco, Filippo, Sebastiano Battiato, and Giovanni Gallo, eds. Digital imaging for cultural heritage preservation: Analysis, restoration, and reconstruction of ancient artworks. CRC Press, 2011.