Volcán (1979)

Volcán captures a raised mound of earth set against a grassy riverbank A white silhouette in the shape of a female body lies atop of the form The same shot then cuts to a frame where the base of the white figure spontaneously starts smoking It then quickly sets aflame As it combusts a deep cavity is revealed even as it is cloaked in growing flames and smoke evoking a volcanic eruption Finally the entire body is engulfed so that only ashes remain in the negative space human remains Mendieta short the work in 1975 at Old Mans Creek in Sharon Center Iowa near where the artist was living at the time