Death of an Artist, a Short Review
Death of an Artist, a Short Review
Thoughts to explore from the podcast, "Death of an Artist"
The podcast Death of an Artist, hosted by Helen Molesworth and produced by Pushkin Industries and Somethin’ Else, is a poignant look at a moment in contemporary art history that elevates many important topics for discussion through the tragedy of a singular event - the death of artist Ana Mendieta - nearly 4 decades ago. Among them are the art world's stratification, the Me Too movement, patriarchy, cancel culture, and most prominently in all of them, the silence that follows.
Special Note: a live event for this podcast is happening today, December 4
at A.I.R Gallery in Brooklyn at 5pm EST
The podcast explores the life and death of Ana, the subsequent trial of her husband, artist Carl Andre, for her murder, and the impact it all had on the art world - both then, and now.
From the Pushkin website:
Was the famous sculptor Carl Andre involved in the death of his up-and-coming artist wife Ana Mendieta? For over 35 years, accusations of murder shrouded one of the art world’s most storied couples.
They were a textbook case of opposites attract. Andre was famous, rich, white, and within the small coterie of the artworld, powerful. Mendieta was a Cuban refugee, a diminutive woman, working at the edge of the Avant Garde. Just months after their wedding, Andre called 911 saying they had a fight and Mendieta “went out the window” of their 34th floor apartment.Andre was charged with murder and the art world split in two. Host Helen Molesworth revisits Mendieta’s death and the trial that followed, and interrogates both the silence and the protest that have accompanied this story ever since. A co-production between Pushkin Industries and Somethin’ Else, a Sony Music Entertainment company.
Knowing that this trial was occurring at about the time I was entering art school, I was surprised (and honestly, rather embarrassed, as an artist) that I hadn’t heard anything about it until recently. In fact, I only became aware of this history rather obliquely due to a 2015 event “CRYING; A PROTEST” at a Carl Andre retrospective at the Dia Beacon which piqued my interest as what I thought at the time (from news headlines) was solely a performance art piece. It was before #metoo became a viral hashtag, elevating a movement to the forefront of our consciousness. And somehow, I missed the broader story and didn’t connect the dots between the protest and the death of an artist some 30 years earlier.
Then, recently, I was listening to the ArtCurious Podcast by Jennifer Dasal (which I highly recommend for a lighter bite of art news and history with many curious stories to enjoy), when an ad for “Death of an Artist” popped up.
I will delve more deeply into the topics covered in the podcast over the coming months, as I continue to dive deeper into related information and resources presented in the show. In the meantime, I wanted to encourage anyone with a curiosity about the world of art curation, contemporary art, feminism, or simply an inclination for murder mysteries, to give this short 7-episode podcast a listen. I found the host, Helen Molesworth, to be very knowledgeable and engaging in her approach to difficult topics, and welcomed a strong list of guests to give depth to the series. Her encouragement of open discussion, even at the peril of her own career, is a testament to her commitment to making the art world a more honest reflection of what it seeks to preserve for us all.
As Helen states, “When we are silent, who is being protected by that silence.”
Listening to the story of Ana and everything that followed her death, I certainly am encouraged to engage in larger conversations in the coming year.
Until then - wishing you good health and a happy Holiday season enjoying the moments that make this time of year special to you. For myself, I will be taking this opportunity for some rest with plenty of long walks in forests and fields before heading into the New Year.
Cheers,
Jennifer
Sources:
https://www.pushkin.fm/podcasts/death-of-an-artist
https://hyperallergic.com/189315/crying-for-ana-mendieta-at-the-carl-andre-retrospective/
https://metoomvmt.org/get-to-know-us/history-inception/
https://www.artcuriouspodcast.com/