Untitled (Silueta series) 1979

This image is one of Ana Mendieta’s Siluetas, made in the 1970s using earth and natural materials. I love how she lets the earth speak for itself, digging a simple shape and letting it fill with whatever comes to hand. Look at the grainy texture, the way the light plays on the uneven surface. You can almost feel the coolness of the earth, the rough texture of the foliage. Mendieta isn’t trying to trick us with illusion. The medium is simple and direct, and she shows us exactly how it’s done. You can see her hands in it. The dark smudge in the center of the image is so evocative, so suggestive of absence. It’s not a figure, but the ghost of one. Like Yves Klein, who made impressions with bodies, she makes a figure using the earth as her own canvas. Mendieta reminds me of Carolee Schneemann, pushing the boundaries of art beyond the frame. Ultimately, art is a conversation that we are all invited to join.