Huellas del Agua y la Tierra
Inspired by the life and earth-body works made by Cuban-American artist Ana Mendieta, I invited seven artists to participate on June 20th 2004 to an one-day art event that took place at the beach in Pacifica. Ana Mendieta used her own body on a series of about 200 silhouettes to develop her art practice. She in turn was inspired by the Taino culture and Yoruban religion. In search of her own place of origin, Cuba, she studied the history of the natives populating the Caribbean Islands at the time of Christopher Columbus arrival.
Mendieta felt inspired by the mythology and religious practices developed by the Tainos. They worshipped gods and goddesses that were nature itself. The natural elements such as water, wind, fire and earth are represented in Mendieta’s works. She used natural materials such as fire, water, rocks, shells, and gunpowder in her earth – body works. She had a preference for working in caves and at the edge of the beach were water met land. Mendieta was interested in the idea of enthropy as the works changed by erosion. Caves represented not only the womb, but they were also a site of humankind emergence in ancient pre-Columbian mythology. The caves also served as protective spaces for the natives fleeing the Spaniards and as a place of worship.
Below, the artists who initially participated in the project and produced works of ephemeral nature.
Josefina Jacquin-Bates Andrea Calderon Caleb Duarte
Mariana Garibay R. Marina Perez-Wong
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