Ana Mendieta

Using the respiratory rhythms of her own anatomy, the artist transforms a patch of earth into a breathing, dynamic, and anthropomorphic being.

Though she is frequently remembered as a New York-based artist, Ana Mendieta spent the majority of her life in Iowa and created some of her most significant works while living in the state, including ”Grass Breathing.” This film is an important example of both Mendieta’s video practice (which includes more than 65 films made in and around Iowa City between 1971 and 1981) and her “earth-body” work, a term that she used to indicate the merger of her physical form with nature. Using the respiratory rhythms of her own anatomy, the artist transforms a patch of earth into a breathing, dynamic, and anthropomorphic being.

“Grass Breathing” is a recent addition to the Art Center’s collection. “Ana Mendieta: Grass Breathing” is organized by Associate Curator Ashton Cooper.

Ana Mendieta (American, born Cuba, 1948-1985)
Grass Breathing, c.1974
Des Moines Art Center Permanent Collections; Purchased with funds from the Stanley and Gail Richards Art Acquisition Endowment; the Sharon Simmons Art Acquisitions Fund; and the Edmundson Art Foundation, Inc., 2025.11
© The Estate of Ana Mendieta Collection, LLC. Licensed by Artists Right Society (ARS), New York / Courtesy Marian Goodman Gallery