Ana Mendieta and Andy Warhol

            Two of the most influential artists in art history, Ana Mendieta and Andy Warhol, are similar yet different in various ways. Both Ana Mendieta and Andy Warhol experienced unfortunate events in their early lives. Throughout Ana Mendieta’s adolescent years, she struggled and constantly felt isolated due to her separation from her Cuban family to become an adopted refugee in America. Through the images that she creates, she hoped to influence people to interact in a more authentic manner, and to realize that we are one and that the earth is our supreme mother. As for Andy Warhol, he suffered from a neurological disorder, Sydenham chorea, also known as St. Vitus dance, which causes involuntary movements. Throughout his life, he dealt with his physical imperfections by creating various looks through the usage of clothing, wigs, cosmetics, and plastic surgery for his nose. His early paintings that involved a nose job and wigs were inspired by his lifelong interest in beauty regimes. (Andy Warhol's Life.).

Some of Ana Mendieta’s works revolved around the theme of violence while others consisted of nature inspired pieces. Her work, such as Siluetas, generally took place in various natural locations. Ana Mendieta, taking inspiration from Cuban Catholicism, Santeria, utilized organic materials such as blood, feathers, rocks, flowers, and fire to demonstrate the never-changing cycles of life and death, womanhood, rebirth, and renewal (Art Story). She shared her work through photography, film and live performances. Ana Mendieta represented herself to be merging with the earth, indicating a metaphorical return to mother earth. On September 8, 1985, Ana Mendieta died tragically from a fall from her 34^th floor apartment. The silhouette that her body created upon impact eerily echoed her work, Siluetas (Art Story). 

Ana Mendieta

Untitled, Silueta Series

1976 

Andy Warhol’s most notable style was photographic silkscreen printing, a commercial process which permitted him to readily reproduce the images he appropriated from popular culture. Some of his photographic silkscreen works included his paintings of Marilyn Monroe, Elvis Presley, and Elizabeth Taylor. Andy Warhol enjoyed exploring every form of media because to him, it is social and influences a reaction. “He drew, painted, created silk screens and sculptures, wrote books, staged performances and hosted TV shows” (Andy Warhol's Life.). 

Andy Warhol

Marilyn Monroe

1967

Both artists showed vulnerability and exposure while simultaneously inventing themselves through the presentation of their works. Through fame, both artists highlighted invisible stories. According to the documentary about Andy Warhol, He had always dreamt of being famous. According to him, everyone can and should have the opportunity to be a celebrity. He once said, “In the future, everyone will be world famous for 15 minutes. ”In addition to his silkscreen paintings, Andy Warhol also photographed himself dressed in drag, referring to it as his female alter ego, Rrose Selavy. He was interested in the construction of identity. He carefully invented himself as a “superficial, depthless celebrity persona in life” (Ted Mann). In Ana Mendieta’s, Untitled (Glass on Body Imprints), 1972,  she challenged viewers how her nude body should be perceived. "Men act and women appear. Men look at women. Women watch themselves being looked at" (Ways of Seeing 47). “Women are depicted in a quite different way from men -not because the feminine is different from the masculine- but because the ‘ideal’ spectator is always assumed to be male and the image of the woman is designed to flatter him (Ways of Seeing 64). Although she is posing as nude, she does so, not to objectify her own body, but to distort it using the transparent glass, and by doing so, she remains in control of how she is viewed. Ana Mendieta and Andy Warhol used their platform to shed light on subjects that are shunned by society. They both contributed to art history and attempted to make a difference in society.

Andy Warhol

Self Portrait in Drag

Ana Mendieta

Untitled (Glass on Body Imprints)

1972

Works Cited

Berger, John. Ways Of Seeing. Great Britain, Penguin Books, 1972. 98-102

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

Mann, Ted “Andy Warhol” https://www.guggenheim.org/artwork/15490

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