Sanja Ivekovic: "Unknown Heroine"

Sanja Ivekovic (1949-) is a Croatian artist whose primary mediums include video, performance art, photography and sculpture. This artist often uses the themes of women's rights, violence, erasure and politics in her art. This artist often combines advertisements with her own work, particularly fashion images. I absolutely love this artist because of her commentary on the world around her and her use of juxtaposition. I love juxtaposition; it's a great way to get your point across and this artist uses it masterfully.

Tragedy of A Venus (1975-1976)

The word "Venus" has been used as a term to describe the "ideal" woman by art history from the now passé "Venus of Willendorf" (more correctly called the Woman of Willendorf, but is still the "Venus" is most writings) to Marc Quinn's "Venus". This particular piece pairs images from a photo essay praising Marilyn Monroe with the artist in her everyday life and captioned with lines like "Still unsure of herself" and "They called her tigress".  These photos show the "Venus" archetype for what it is, objectified woman an ideal that no one should be expected to aspire to. Fame is a thing that's socially constructed and almost mockable, yet something many girls yearn for.  I've found many slightly different opinions as to what this work is about. Also it has been analyzed as a desire for fame and also blending of public and private in images in real life.

 

Triangle (1979)

Oh surveillance how pervasive you are! In this performance piece/4 photo series the artist sits on the balcony of her apartment wearing an "American" tee shirt, sipping whisky, reading a copy of "Elites and Society" by Tom Bottomore and stimulating masturbation. According to most sources she was discovered by the secret police and she was forced back in side. She of course expected this; the unsuspecting secret police became part of her performance. The only source that disagrees with this, claims they were security organs but I assume this is a bad translation, otherwise I have some questions as to what security organs are.  These images are back and white. She performed this piece while crowds awaited the then president Josip Broz Tito's, and possibly on a visit of George Bush's to Yugoslavia. Both times had the same results. This piece was a political performance piece that criticized the masculine cult of the leader and the intrusiveness of surveillance.

See Also

"Resnik" 1994, Video and Installation, Sanja Ivekovic

"Make Up-Make Down" 1978, Video, Sanja Ivekovic

"Lady Rosa of Luxembourg" 2001, Sculpture, Sanja Ivekovic

"Waiting for Revolution"1970s-1980s, Pencil on Paper,Sanja Ivekovic 

All images courtesy of MoMAs interactive Sweet Violence exhibit which documents Ivekovic's retrospective.

"Sanja Iveković: Sweet Violence." MoMA | The Museum of Modern Art. http://www.moma.org/interactives/exhibitions/2011/sanjaivekovic/ (accessed September 23, 2013).

"Contemporary Art | Sanja Iveković." Time Out Croatia | Your ultimate guide to Croatia. http://timeoutcroatia.com/culture/contemporary-art/sanja-ivekovic/ (accessed September 23, 2013).

Patel, Amar. "Sanja Ivekovic – The Unknown Heroine." I make sense. http://www.imakesense.org/blog/sanja-ivekovic-unknown-heroine/2/2/2013 (accessed September 23, 2013).

Rehberg, Vivian. "Sanja Iveković." Frieze Magazine. https://www.frieze.com/issue/review/sanja_ivekovi/ (accessed November 23, 2013).

Smith, Roberta . "Sanja Ivekovic’s - Sweet Violence’ at Museum of Modern Art - Review." The New York Times - Breaking News, World News & Multimedia. http://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/16/arts/design/sanja-ivekovics-sweet-violence-at-museum-of-modern-art-review.html?pagewanted=all (accessed September 23, 2013).

Wetzler, Rachel. "Women’s House: Sanja Ivekovic’s Sweet Violence." Idiom. http://idiommag.com/2012/03/womens-house-sanja-ivekovics-sweet-violence/ (accessed September 23, 2013).