Being “Other”: Ana Mendieta’s Artistic Practice and Feminist Politics within Arts Institutions
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Authors
Alejandria, Cassidy Joy
Date
2024-07-29
Type
thesis
Language
eng
Keyword
Art History , Contemporary art , Feminist art , Third World feminism
Alternative Title
Abstract
This thesis examines the art and politics of Cuban American artist Ana Mendieta through
her engagement with three arts institutions: 1) the University of Iowa; 2) Heresies: A Journal of
Feminist Art and Politics; and 3) Artist in Residence Gallery (A.I.R.). I explore these three
institutions specifically to illuminate how their unique structures provided Mendieta with
essential opportunities and confronted her with challenging constraints that would shape her
artistic practice and Third World feminist politics. Her practice and politics were both rooted in
her experiences of difference after being exiled from Cuba in 1961 and her journey to reconnect
to her homeland. During the 1970s and 1980s, women of colour describing themselves as “Third
World women” began seeking an alternative means of feminist organizing that embraced their
multiplicity, based on coalition-building and tactical alliances. Throughout her life, Mendieta
was committed to uplifting Cuban and other Latin American artists, and, through her institutional
work, she showcased her commitment to uplifting Third World women through a politics of
being “Other.” By approaching Mendieta’s practice through her work with arts institutions, this
thesis connects her artistic practice to the important feminist activism that Third World women
were doing at the time.
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License
Queen's University's Thesis/Dissertation Non-Exclusive License for Deposit to QSpace and Library and Archives Canada
ProQuest PhD and Master's Theses International Dissemination Agreement
Intellectual Property Guidelines at Queen's University
Copying and Preserving Your Thesis
This publication is made available by the authority of the copyright owner solely for the purpose of private study and research and may not be copied or reproduced except as permitted by the copyright laws without written authority from the copyright owner.
Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International
ProQuest PhD and Master's Theses International Dissemination Agreement
Intellectual Property Guidelines at Queen's University
Copying and Preserving Your Thesis
This publication is made available by the authority of the copyright owner solely for the purpose of private study and research and may not be copied or reproduced except as permitted by the copyright laws without written authority from the copyright owner.
Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International