Robert Smithson and Ana Mendieta Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Robert Smithson and Ana Mendieta - Essay Example The paper "Robert Smithson and Ana Mendieta" discovers the art of the two artists, Robert Smithson and Ana Mendieta. Both artists use the earth as their medium. The only difference that we can see to them is the way by which they choose the medium to present their art. Smithson in his works tends to make monumental creations. His wonderful idea about making land into a form of art motivated him to come up with the Spiral Jetty in Salt Lake Utah in 1970. Eventually he became the proponent of Earth Art or land art. He called this as a site work, wherein the mere place or location becomes the artist medium or subject. Mendieta’s approach is almost the same. She also uses the earth and other things like feather etc. as her medium. The only difference that we can see is that she does intend to make monumental creation or big work as what Smithson is doing. She is unique in her symbolic approach in visual representation. She does not concentrate in making the site as her subject and medium. She mainly incorporates herself or her body to her art. These are things that Smithson has not done with his work. Most of his concepts revolve on his conceptual ideas of making the mere place or site as a form of art. There are reasons for these differences. Ana Mendieta strives not only to present a piece of art, like what Smithson is doing. Her concept is feministic, therefore bringing her earnest idea into the mediums by which she is using. She makes a lot of symbolisms in her work than what Smithson has done.