10 episodes

Was the famous sculptor Carl Andre involved in the death of his up-and-coming artist wife Ana Mendieta? For over 35 years, accusations of murder shrouded one of the art world’s most storied couples.

They were a textbook case of opposites attract. Andre was famous, rich, white, and within the small coterie of the artworld, powerful. Mendieta was a Cuban refugee, a woman, working at the edge of the Avant Garde. Just months after their wedding, Andre called 911 saying they had a fight and Mendieta “went out the window” of their 34th floor apartment.

Andre was charged with murder and the art world split in two. Host Helen Molesworth revisits Mendieta’s death and the trial that followed, and interrogates both the silence and the protest that have accompanied this story ever since.

Death of an Artist is a co-production between Pushkin Industries, Somethin’ Else, and Sony Music Entertainment.

Death of an Artist Pushkin

    • True Crime
    • 4.6 • 637 Ratings

Listen on Apple Podcasts
Requires subscription and macOS 11.4 or higher

Was the famous sculptor Carl Andre involved in the death of his up-and-coming artist wife Ana Mendieta? For over 35 years, accusations of murder shrouded one of the art world’s most storied couples.

They were a textbook case of opposites attract. Andre was famous, rich, white, and within the small coterie of the artworld, powerful. Mendieta was a Cuban refugee, a woman, working at the edge of the Avant Garde. Just months after their wedding, Andre called 911 saying they had a fight and Mendieta “went out the window” of their 34th floor apartment.

Andre was charged with murder and the art world split in two. Host Helen Molesworth revisits Mendieta’s death and the trial that followed, and interrogates both the silence and the protest that have accompanied this story ever since.

Death of an Artist is a co-production between Pushkin Industries, Somethin’ Else, and Sony Music Entertainment.

Listen on Apple Podcasts
Requires subscription and macOS 11.4 or higher

    Episode 1: The Haunting

    Episode 1: The Haunting

    In 1980s Manhattan, a young Cuban artist named Ana Mendieta made a name for herself as a rising star in the art world. Her turbulent marriage to the older and well-established sculptor Carl Andre raised eyebrows. One September night, Carl called 911 in a panic. His wife, he said, “went out the window.” 

    To hear the rest of Season 1 ad-free, sign up for Pushkin+ on the Death of an Artist show page in Apple Podcasts, or at pushkin.fm/plus. 
    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    • 44 min
    Episode 2: What the Wall Label Doesn’t Tell You

    Episode 2: What the Wall Label Doesn’t Tell You

    Following Ana’s death, police take Carl in for questioning. He has scratches on his face. His story is inconsistent, yet he maintains his innocence. In this episode, we rewind and take a look back at Carl’s history and his relationship with Ana and try to understand what led to that night.

    To hear the rest of Season 1 ad-free, sign up for Pushkin+ on the Death of an Artist show page in Apple Podcasts, or at pushkin.fm/plus. 
    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    • 43 min
    Episode 3: The Feminist Cabal

    Episode 3: The Feminist Cabal

    Ana’s art engaged with her identity as a Cuban female artist. She worked hard to be recognized in a world dominated by white men. After her death, Ana’s friends and family demand an investigation. Many of the most powerful members of the art world dismiss them as a “feminist cabal.”

    To hear the rest of Season 1 ad-free, sign up for Pushkin+ on the Death of an Artist show page in Apple Podcasts, or at pushkin.fm/plus. If you’d like to keep up with the most recent news from this and other Pushkin podcasts be sure to subscribe to our email list.
    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    • 38 min
    Episode 4: The Genius Problem

    Episode 4: The Genius Problem

    Carl stands trial for the murder of Ana Mendieta. His defense ruthlessly attacks Ana, using her artwork against her, and rests heavily on his prestige in the art world. Helen reveals her personal connection to Carl Andre and his work, and how it changed her career.

    To hear the rest of Season 1 ad-free, sign up for Pushkin+ on the Death of an Artist show page in Apple Podcasts, or at pushkin.fm/plus. If you’d like to keep up with the most recent news from this and other Pushkin podcasts be sure to subscribe to our email list.
    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    • 43 min
    Episode 5: The Silencing

    Episode 5: The Silencing

    Carl Andre is acquitted. Decades later, the art world remains divided about his innocence. In order to protect Carl, the art world maintained a strict separation between the art and the artist and used silence to preserve the status quo. But a few remain vocal.

    To hear the rest of Season 1 ad-free, sign up for Pushkin+ on the Death of an Artist show page in Apple Podcasts, or at pushkin.fm/plus. If you’d like to keep up with the most recent news from this and other Pushkin podcasts be sure to subscribe to our email list.
    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    • 40 min
    Episode 6: The Reckoning

    Episode 6: The Reckoning

    Today, Carl Andre lives in the same apartment where Ana fell to her death. Helen investigates and grapples with what his not guilty verdict means and chips away at the silence the art world has used to protect both Andre and itself.

    If you’d like to keep up with the most recent news from this and other Pushkin podcasts be sure to subscribe to our email list.
    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    • 42 min

Customer Reviews

4.6 out of 5
637 Ratings

637 Ratings

BACNE SPEARS ,

Helen can do no wrong IMO

This podcast is so great ESPECIALLY the ep where Helen goes deep into her feelings about cancel culture. So thoughtful. Long live Ana Mendieta and her work!❤️

MJAmami ,

Great listen for the art historian & the just person on the street art lover.

Helen Molesworth is the perfect narrator for this true story. She is also considerate and defines all the art “lingo”. Thank you for making this podcast to tell Ana Mandieta’s story and what it means in the larger picture.

FrancoBidd ,

Important, but reinforces silence

I had not known about Ana Mendieta. The podcast is compelling and important for bringing to light millennia-old universal violence against women by men. I object, however, to obsessively racializing this violence throughout the piece. The narrator comes off as a penitent and self-flagellating ‘white’ woman who believes she is not the target of similar or more extensive violence against her based on identity. ‘White’ is not a monolith, is fluid and historically manipulated for whatever group benefits from the definition— Greeks and Italians and French-Canadians etc. were not considered ‘white’ until recently in history: the group ‘white’ is comprised of diverse ethnic minorities. To be Ukrainian is different than to be Québécois than to be Italian, than to be Greek, than to be Polish, than to be Irish, etc.— all groups, which have experienced colonization or genocide or systemic bigotry, or have been the victims of eugenics, etc. etc. By perpetuating this monolith myth, we divide women and societies and steamroll over unique and vulnerable ethnic minorities, who still struggle with legacies of great violence perpetrated against them. Furthermore, this podcast completely glosses over the fact that women who fall into this category ‘white’ are the greatest victims, numbers-wise, in the US and Canada, of the kind of violence this podcast explores. Laken Riley; Linda Frickey; Jen Angel; Madison Brooks; Eliza Fletcher; Karen Baker; Christi Spicuzza— just a few ‘white’ women recently murdered by men who are not white. The refusal of this podcast to give voice to this inconvenient reality makes the silence surrounding these victims’ murders that much more menacing.

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