This is a museum?

review by Denby Fortune

March 16, 2017

The Rose Art Museum is located on the Brandeis campus and is a meager museum that does not contain much artwork. Although there is not much artwork in this museum, there are a series of paintings called Body Tracks by Ana Mendieta that are enthralling. These pieces of art were bloody handprints that were dragged down the canvas. There was nothing else on the canvas except these bloody handprints, which kept the attention on these handprints. The fascinating part about these paintings is the fact that the handprints are actual animal blood mixed with red paint. Although these are quite simple pieces of artwork, the story of how the artist was inspired is shocking. Ana Mendieta got her inspiration when she heard about the rape and murder of a nursing student, and she wanted to create a piece that resembled the heartbreak and torture of the story. By using actual animal blood in this piece, it generates an eerie and unwelcoming, but at the same time very intriguing feeling. It is fascinating to look at these paintings and imagine the pain and suffering the artist was trying to resemble through art. The overall tone to these pieces are very complex. For example, although it is somewhat unwelcoming and disturbing, it was at the same time intriguing and formed many questions in the audience’s mind.