Performance - Jenelle Mejia

 https://drive.google.com/file/d/1p-KutEhxaVCf99g42drvHVkIZFx2a9-N/view?usp=sharing

    Ana Mendieta’s artwork is about documenting her experience on this.is earth. A lot of her work is connected to her identity.and culture. Her photography feels like a personal form of therapy and she creates a safe space for herself to heal. The confusion from being an outcast in the United States and feeling disconnected from her culture, created beautiful photographs. Mendieta was an immigrant from Cuba and struggled with feeling out of place in America. Ana Mendieta creates a photo series called “Siluetas” that help her reclaim for Cuban heritage and feel grounded in America.In Monica Castillo’s article, “Overlooked No More: Ana Mendieta, a Cuban Artist Who Pushed Boundaries”, Castillo writes about what inspired some of Ana Mendieta’s artwork. Castillo wrote Ana Mendieta’s own descriptions, “The making of my ‘Silueta’ in nature keeps the transition between my homeland and my new home…It is a way of reclaiming my roots and becoming one with nature. Although the culture in which I live is part of me, my roots and cultural identity are a result of my Cuban heritage.” (Castillo, 18). Castillo continues by describing the symbolism in “Siluetas”, “Mendieta exemplified this best through a series called “Siluetas,” or “Silhouettes,” which focused on sculptured figures made out of earthy materials like grass, flowers, branches and mud and incorporating themes like creation, faith and womanhood.” (Castillo, 15). I relate to Ana Mendieta’s search for belonging and feeling disconnected to her roots. 

    Similar to Ana Mendieta, Shawn Leonardo creates performance that speak on his identity and childhood. Everything was against him and he still managed to be successful. His parents were immigrants and they instilled their work ethic in him. In Edra Soto’s article “Performance, Pedagogy, and Philosophy”, Soto interviews Shawn Leonardo. Soto asks Shawn to describe what success means to him, “However, it was in the mentality of striving for the best that I was also taught that success meant economic stability and mobility.” (Soto, 4). The success of Shawn Leonardo and Ana Mendieta for me, is their ability to inspire others. 

    The artwork that I love the most revolves around the artists identity. I'm in the process of discovering my identity. Or more so, understanding how much my culture defines who I am. I want to make artwork that I love and that helps people embrace who they are. Ana Mendieta and Shawn Leonardo heal themselves with their artwork. They create new avenues, for what it means to be Hispanic/Latino. I have to do that for myself and my community. It's important that we document our experiences through art. I know I'm in the beginning of finding my creative process and all of that is because of this class. There are a lot of symbols in my performance. My family, religion, and culture are all represented in my video. The rosary, pictures, and letters are priceless to me and hold a big place in my heart. My grandmother raised me and her daily rituals were very important to her.

Works Cited

    Castillo, Monica. “Overlooked No More: Ana Mendieta, a Cuban Artist Who Pushed Boundaries.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 19 Sept. 2018, www.nytimes.com/2018/09/19/obituaries/ana-mendieta-overlooked.html.

    Soto, Edra. “Performance, Pedagogy, and Philosophy.” Hispanic Executive, 1 July 2022, hispanicexecutive.com/shaun-leonardo/.

 

Yoko Ono Instruction Pieces:

1. Cut 3 pieces of random clothing, sew them together in a random formation, wear your Frankenstein piece for a whole day 

2. Put on your outfit for the day, take off one item/article of clothing, and just go on with your day