Ana Mendieta
X-ray, c. 1975Super-8mm film transferred to high-definition digital media, color, silent1' 36''
Ed. 8 + 3 AP
To make this film, Mendieta likely used the Cinefluorography unit purchased by the University of Iowa to do research in speech pathology, a program for which the institution is well respected to this day. Cinefluorography, which images the interior motion of the human body, has typically been used for diagnostic and research purposes, but it has also appealed to artists. The process involves using either 35mm or 16 mm formats to make X-ray notion films by photographing the image from a fluorescent screen with an image amplifier. This 16 mm film captures X-ray images of Mendieta's skull through a circular aperture from various angles. The moving X-ray images show her skull's profile from behind, above, and facing the camera while her jaw, facial bones, and mouth open and close while she speaks.
