Covered in Time and History: The Films of Ana Mendieta

Great catalogue of her filmwork in conjunction with the U of Minnesota exhibit. I especially appreciated the preservationist notes from her niece in the section “Uncovering Ana: The Rebirth of Mendieta's Filmworks”. I also enjoyed reading about her relationship with A.I.R. Gallery.

Then there's this, my favorite quote in the section “Forever Young: Five Lessons from the Creative Life of Ana Mendieta” by Lynn Lukkas:

“In retrospect, it is difficult to imagine that the Intermedia Program and its anything-goes environment, which included intimate and sexual relationships between students and faculty and frequent drinking, would be permitted in today's educational climate and litigious society.”

I attended this very MFA program from 1999-2003 and it was still very much permitted. It's important because I'm not sure Mendienta's work would exist if the Intermedia Program at Iowa was a standard MFA factory for professional artists. Intermedia was more a “safe space” for radical creative activity. The University eventually disallowed blood, guns, verbal harassment, and teacher/student relationships, stunting the artwork in the process. University administrators bulldozed a Temporary Autonomous Zone and erected a bland and inconsequential digital media program in it's place. This was inevitable, but thankfully Ana Mendieta's work escaped in time.