Ana Mendieta & Andy Warhol

     

   Andy Warhol was a prolific figure in the 1960’s. He was a leading artist in the pop art movement. He achieved this status by becoming a successful magazine and ad illustrator. A few of Warhol’s themes is everyday objects, portraits, and shocking scenes.  Andy Warhol's parents are Slovakian immigrants. He was born into a poor family; his dad is a construction worker and his mom being an embroiderer.  Andy Warhol uses themes such as "self-image" and "pop culture." Warhol used a black-and-white picture of Marilyn Monroe and created several series of images.  Andy Warhol and Ana Mendieta are two completely different artists, but they have one thing in common: their work influences people. Warhol and Mendieta are influential artists in their own right. Both artists established themselves through their hard work. Due to this, Warhol and Mendieta are considered icons in the art community. Their style of work is very relevant in today’s society, not just in the art community but in everyday life as well. Although, both Ana Mendieta and Andy Warhol had a difficult childhood and similar experiences in life which was the inspiration of their art, their art is very different and even opposite. Warhol was always self-deprecating, especially when it came to his looks and his style so one can see why he would base the majority of his art on famous figures and brand objects because those are the things that people crave and desire. Warhol was a person who sought anonymity in fame and he did everything he could not take make his name the poster child of art. He succeeded in a way as even though a person will always know a Warhol painting, they may never know Warhol     Ana Mendieta is similar to Warhol in which both of their life experiences and where/how they grew up influenced their works. Ana Mendieta was born in Havana, Cuba. She was separated from her Cuban family to become an adopted refugee in America. She felt like an outsider growing up in the Midwest. Some of Mendieta’s prevalent themes are feminism, belonging, and violence. Being born in Havana, Mendieta was exposed to the beauty of nature. That influenced her beliefs and artwork. She felt disconnected from where she belonged. She felt whole again when she would unite herself with earth because she felt we are all one with earth. She created many earth/body sculptures and used herself as a subject because of that fact. Mendieta used sand, rocks, leaves, and fire in her work. Mendieta would set fire to her silhouettes on the ground. The fire could mean anger or violence, but it could also symbolize the renewal of life through the warmth of flames.  Mendieta, on the other hand, took her art as a form of expression and heavily pushed their meaning to the viewer. “If you buy a painting you buy also the look of the thing it represents.”(Berger, pg. 83). She was heavily involved in nature and the feminist movement so much of her work is reliant on that means of expression. Warhol was always self-deprecating, especially when it came to his looks and his style so one can see why he would base the majority of his art on famous figures and brand objects because those are the things that people crave and desire

Andy Warhol and Ana Mendieta are well-established artists. They both excel in their own different ways. Andy Warhol was more focused on the final product of his pieces while Ana Mendieta focused more on the process and meaning of her pieces. According to Berger, “The Claim of the theme is made empty the way the subject is painted. The paint cannot free itself of its original propensity to procure the tangible for the immediate pleasure of the owner.” For Andy Warhol, when “Campbell’s Soup Cans” was released to the public many believed that his idea of was how in society at the time was obsessed with consumption, In reality, he wanted to make the prints just to make them. Ana Mendieta, on the other hand, is more involved in the meaning and symbolism behind her pieces. An example, “Silueta series”; the meaning behind these pieces she made a figure on the ground representing women in domestic relationships symbolizing how they are too deep in a whole for them to get out of. She would set them on fire and document them. The flame represents how a person is slowly dying. Ana’s and Andy’s work was extremely influenced by the events that occurred throughout their lives. However, their art is very different. While Ana’s art was deeper and realistic, Andy’s art was based on more superficial things. In the book by John Berger, Ways of Seeing, “The uniqueness of every painting was once part of the uniqueness of the place where it resided.”(Berger, pg. 19).

In conclusion, Andy Warhol and Ana Mendieta are influential artists in their own right. Both artists established themselves through their hard work. Andy Warhol helped and turned the Pop Art movement into what it is today. Warhol established many trends in prints and photography. His style is incorporated into everyday life. For example, Snapchat filters are a prime example of modern day Pop Art. Ana Mendieta, influenced the feminist movement. Mendieta’s fight for feminism resonated with people. Even after her tragic death it sparked a series of discussions. Her topic of rape and domestic violence is still relevant today, such as the #MeToo movement. Overall, both artists play a role, not just in the art community, but also in society.

 

                                                   Reference : 

Brown, E. (2018). Andy Warhol And His Artistic Influence. [online] Culture Trip. Available at: https://theculturetrip.com/north-america/usa/articles/andy-warhol-and-his-artistic-influence/ [Accessed 21 Mar. 2018].

Heuer, Megan. Ana Mendieta: Earth Body, Sculpture and Performance. The Brooklyn Rail Critical Perspectives on Arts, Politics, and Culture, 2004.
 https://brooklynrail.org/2004/09/art/ana-mendieta-earth-body-sculpture-and-pe

“Ana Mendieta.” Guggenheim, Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, www.guggenheim.org/artwork/artist/ana-mendieta.

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

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