Post 2

The premise behind art as a whole is actually quite simple. Art is meant to inspire. Art forces you to use your imagination. We think deeply about art and everything it means. We interpret it differently, we see different details, and we infer our differentiating opinions. The iconic artists inspire other artists for generations. Two of those artists left behind unmatches legacies; Andy Warhol and Ana Mendieta. These artists needed their own inspiration to begin. Art reflects the life of the artist and who the artist is. 

Warhol begins his career drawing upon his childhood for inspiration. He grew up in Pittsburgh in a relatively wealthless family. The Warhol’s were working class, much like the rest of Pittsburgh. “As a child, Warhol suffered from Sydenham chorea, a neurological disorder commonly known as St. Vitus dance, characterized by involuntary movements.”(Warhol Museum). This lead to what Warhold saw as other physical flaws such skin pigmentations. That is the basis for Warhol’s work. While being home with these issues, he would create art and fell in love with it. This lead to his enrollment at Carnegie Mellon and eventually moving to New York at the age of 18. His obsession with imperfections and the daily battle to erase them, made its way into his work. He would take the attention off of the subject by using wigs and clothing. He was always searching for a better look. It was Warhol’s way of erasing imperfections.

Much like Warhold, Ana Mendieta also began her life with struggle. Mendieta defected to the United States from Cuba and was immediately thrusted into foster care. She was experiencing a culture shock at such a young age and she found art as an escape. “...the young artist felt an ever-present disconnection from the concepts of mother, place, identity, belonging, and home. For 15 of her 37 years, she explored this ache through her work, which was primarily performance, photography, and film-based. She aimed to jostle the nonchalance of people in ways that would provoke them to connect with each other more authentically, to understand that they were essentially one within humanity, and that the earth was the supreme mother to all.” (The Art Story). Essentially, from what Mendieta experienced growing up alone, and feeling isolated, lead to much of her artwork. 

Much of Andy Warhol’s life derived from the idea of constantly trying to improve himself. He seemed desperate to be known and loved in spite of his physical features. This lead to his controversial work. His use of clothing and other alternating appearance items were very apparent. This is what lead him to “Pop Art”. His attention to detail came from his own obsession. Warhol’s father pushed hard for him to go to college because he knew Andy wasn’t built for everyday life. Warhol needed to be different. Joanne Finklestein says in her book The Art of Self Invention; Image and Identity in Popular Visual Culture; “Such a character values the idea of a ‘core self’ that emanates our ethical best but also understands the necessity of the opposite, namely, being able to invent an identity to suit the fluid character of cosmopolitan life” (Finkelstein. 10). Warhol didn’t like who he was, therefore, he created a new persona. This persona bled into his “Pop Art” work. Warhol’s desperation to change lead to the breakout of his work. Warhol became infatuated with this work and eventually interconnected. His love for pop culture in art is what made him Andy Warhol. His success then lead to him other’s with success. He felt the need to do art of fellow celebrities. Warhol was on top of the world. He created different identities for the celebrities he was subjected to. Warhol wanted his art to be universal. Creating new identities is what he did for celebrities such as Marilyn Monroe and Muhammed Ali. 

Ana Mendieta was seen as an artist who celebrated the natural life. She was someone who was seen as a feminist who often liked to make statements with her work. John Berger identifies such in his book; Ways of Seeing, when stating; “The art of any culture wii| show a wide differential of talent. But in no other culture is the difference between "masterpiece" and average work so large as in the tradition of the oil painting, in this tradition, the difference is not just a question of skill or imagination, but also of morals.”(Berger). Mendieta was focused on earth and body art. She wanted to show the return to a natural form. That is the statement she was often making. She decided to take control of her body and connect it back with the world. That’s a statement.

Both Warhol and Mendieta are generational artists. Their upbringings gave them the inspiration and desire to become the artists they were. They made statements with their work. Great artists serve as inspirations and convey the importance of their work. That is what these two iconic artists did. The work of these artists encapsulated their lives as a whole and ultimately, is what sets them apart from the rest. 

Works Cited

“Ana Mendieta Art, Bio, Ideas.” The Art Story, https://www.theartstory.org/artist/mendieta-ana/.

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

Berger, John. Ways of Seeing. British Broadcasting Corporation, 2008.

Finkelstein, Joanne. The Art of Self Invention: Image and Identity in Popular Visual Culture. Tauris, 2007.