‘Grass on Women’: natureculture and the bodies of Ana Mendieta
‘Grass on Women’: natureculture and the bodies of Ana Mendieta

Summary/Abstract: This paper explores the themes of nature, culture, feminism, and new materialism through the lens of artist Ana Mendieta's work. Mendieta’s oeuvre is predominantly focused on the place of the body in nature, offering a distinct perspective that diverges from the dominant paradigm of Land Art, which imposes human intervention upon nature. By examining Mendieta's engagement with the human scale in nature, a contrast emerges that challenges traditional notions of artistic intervention. Drawing on Haraway's notion of natureculture, rooted in new materialisms, this paper investigates the interconnectedness of natural and social dualisms. It seeks to understand the origins of these dualisms and proposes alternative modes of relating to the elements that constitute reality. The focus of analysis lies on the artist’s seminal work, Siluetas, which exemplifies her exploration of the body's relationship to the natural world. Through a convergence rather than divergence, Mendieta's work and Haraway's concept of natureculture offer new possibilities for reimagining the relationship between humans and the environment. The paper aims to provide a critical analysis of Ana Mendieta's work within the context of nature, culture, feminism, and new materialism, by exploring how Mendieta's works challenge conventional binaries and offer alternative ways of understanding the relationship between the human body, nature, and spirituality.

• Details
• Contents