Ana Mendieta
PERFORMANCE ARTIST (1948-1985)
Ana Mendieta was a performance artist who
used her own body to create 'earth body'
performance pieces that addressed the
subject of violence against women, identity,
life and death. The subject of violence
towards women can be seen in her early
performances, while she was still a student,
such as "Untitled (Rape Scene)" 1973. This
was inspired by an incident that occurred on
campus and was performed in the personal
space of her apartment, where Mendieta had
the viewers actively engage and discuss the
piece. The performance helped to bring
attention to these issues. Her work was also
inspired by her experience of being displaced
from her native Cuba. Mendieta was part of
the first female only gallery space in the US.
Marina Abramovic
PERFORMANCE ARTIST (1946 - present)
Marina Abramovic is a pioneer of performance
art, she was among the first generation of
performance artists that emerged in the
1970s. Her performances explore the physical
limitations of the body, constructions of
gender and social systems. She often invites
the audience to participate in her
performances, turning it into a more
interactive experience, this shaped the idea of
performance art for others, inspiring many
other female performance artists. In 1997, she
won a Golden Lion award, while exhibiting at
the Venice Biennale. She has a prolific body
of work and continues to create daring and
influential art, even now in her 70s.
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