feeling of having been cast from the womb (nature). My art is the
way I re-establish the bonds that unite me to the universe. It is a
return to the maternal source. Through my earth/body sculptures
I become one with the earth.^24
Beyond their sensual, moving presence, Mendieta’s works also
generate a palpable spiritual force. In longing for her homeland, she
sought the cultural understanding and acceptance of the spiritual
powers inherent in nature that modern Western societies often seem
to reject in favor of scientific and technological developments.
Mendieta’s art is lyrical and passionate and operates at the intersec-
tion of cultural, spiritual, physical, and feminist concerns.
HANNAH WILKELike Mendieta,Hannah Wilke(1940–1993)
used her own nude body as her artistic material. In her 1974–1982
series S.O.S.—Starification Object Series (FIG. 36-38), Wilke’s im-
ages of herself trigger readings that are simultaneously metaphorical
and real, stereotypical and unique, erotic and disconcerting, and that
deal with both pleasure and pain. In these 10 black-and-white pho-
tographs documenting a performance, Wilke appears topless in a va-
riety of poses, some seductive and others more confrontational. In
each, pieces of chewed gum shaped into small vulvas decorate her
body. While these tiny vaginal sculptures allude to female pleasure,
they also appear as scars, suggesting pain. Ultimately, Wilke hoped
that women would “take control of and have pride in the sensuality
of their own bodies and create a sexuality in their own terms, with-
out deferring to concepts degenerated by culture.”^25
GUERRILLA GIRLS Some feminist artists have taken the world
of the woman artist as their subject, rather than women in society at
large. The New York–based Guerrilla Girls,formed in 1984, bill
themselves as the “conscience of the art world.” This group sees its
duty as calling attention to injustice in the art world, especially what
it perceives as the sexist and racist orientation of the major art insti-
tutions. The women who are members of the Guerrilla Girls have
chosen to remain anonymous. To protect their identities, they weargorilla masks in public. The Guerrilla Girls employ guerrilla tactics
by demonstrating in public, putting on performances, and placing
posters and flyers in public locations. This distribution network ex-
pands the impact of their messages. One poster that reflects the
Guerrilla Girls’ agenda facetiously lists “the advantages of being a
woman artist” (FIG. 36-39). In fact, the list itemizes the numerous
obstacles women artists face in the contemporary art world. The
Guerrilla Girls hope their publicizing of these obstacles will inspire
improvements in the situation for women artists.36-38Hannah Wilke,
S.O.S.—Starification Object
Series,1974. Ten black-and-
white photographs with
15 chewing-gum sculptures
in Plexiglas cases mounted
on ragboard, from a series
originally made for S.O.S.
Mastication Box and used in
an exhibition-performance
at the Clocktower, January 1,
1975, 3 5 5 8 . Courtesy
Ronald Feldman Fine Arts,
New York. Art © Marsie,
Emanuelle, Damon and
Andrew Scharlatt/Licensed
by VAGA, New York.
In this photographic series,
Wilke posed topless
decorated with chewing-
gum sculptures of vulvas
that allude to female
pleasure but also to pain,
because they resemble
scars.36-39Guerrilla Girls,The Advantages of Being a Woman Artist,- Offset print, 1 5 1 10 . Collection of the artists.
The anonymous Guerrilla Girls wear gorilla masks in public performances
and produce posters in which they call attention to injustice in the art
world, especially what they perceive as sexist or racist treatment.
Painting and Sculpture since 1970 9931 ft.
1 in.