Unseen Mendieta
2008
Published by Prestel30 x 24 cm304 pagesHardbackISBN 9783791339665
Compiled by art historian Olga Viso, Unseen Mendieta traces Ana Mendieta’s early studies as an art student in Iowa; the genesis of her signature works, the archetypal female forms known as siluetas; and, public art projects, including ones being developed at the time of her tragic death in 1985.
Interspersed throughout are pages from Mendieta’s notebooks: sketches, shopping lists for materials, recipes for gunpowder mixtures and photographic source materials. Viso’s accompanying essay reveals the artist’s experimental approach and rigorous working methods, provides insights into the forces that inspired and shaped her work and shows how the genius of Mendieta’s vision has survived its physical manifestations.