1985. Jean Paul Basquiat paints over a series of Andy Warhol prints and makes them look interesting. Electrographic Art or Photocopier Art is all the rage. And artist Carl Andre performs his ground breaking piece 269 Feet & 4.21 Seconds.

While Andre may be best loved for his works Stone Field and Equivalent VII, the piece that made him a legend in his own time was 269 Feet & 4.21 Seconds. This work not only helped him capture the attitudes of the time, but also helped him break away from minimalist creation and develop ideas based on Conceptualism and Performance art. While Andre is credited with the final piece, much of the performance couldn't have happened without the influence and work of fellow artist, and wife, Ana Mendieta.

From its conception 269 Feet & 4.21 Seconds was based on the work of both artists. Inspiration for Andre came from his continual use of common construction materials to build works only considered art within the confines of a museum. This type of egocentric repetition helped his fame diminish and his pieces become unmemorable within a short period of time. This loss of fame and popularity would be crucial to the performance of 269 Feet & 4.21 Seconds. Also his inclination towards violent relationships cannot be overlooked either.

As for Mendieta, the impression she would leave on 269 Feet & 4.21 Seconds developed from issues she was exploring in her Silueta series. The subject of these works centered on the insertion of the female form into natural landscapes. Often she would represent the figure of the woman as an earthen mound built with dirt, sand or other organic materials. The constant representation and creation of herself as a buried figure would allow her to perform 269 Feet & 4.21 Seconds as it called for her to stay underground for an indefinite amount of time.

The power of the performance came from the fact that only Mendieta and Andre witnessed it in its entirety. The only remaining artifact after it took place was the Silueta that Mendieta made on the roof of the Montien Thai restaurant. If there were any other artifacts they have since been hidden or destroyed. The rest of the documentation comes from descriptions Andre has given. As he has explained the performance consisted of three main acts. In the first act Mendieta went to the bathroom. The second act consisted of Andre following her to the bathroom and then the conclusion of the piece had Mendieta going out of a window and falling 269 feet in 4.21 seconds. Mendieta retired after the performance concluded.

Examining the piece today one can only speculate how much of a creative hand Andre had in the creation of 269 Feet & 4.21 Seconds. Most of the performance has been credited to Mendieta, but the influence Andre had in developing the piece cannot be overlooked. As he himself described it to those interested afterwards, "You see, I'm a very successful artist and she wasn't. Maybe that got to her, and in that case, maybe I did kill her." Most of the descriptions Andre has made of the piece have led many historians to now believe that he had more to do with the design of the performance and the completion of it.

What affect has this work had on the art world since its performance in 1985? Not long after Mendieta retired, art historians began to reexamine the influence of earth art and body art and artists began to embrace multiculturalism, performance and feminism as important concepts for art making. Her work has since been accepted as a major influence on artists working in those various fashions. And what happened to Carl Andre? No one fucks with Carl anymore.

Dr. Jeff Geoff is a professor of Fine Arts at the University of New York City. His other works include The Art of Electrography and Jim Dine: Who Was He Again? Along with writing a monthly column for ARTless he is also featured in Badly Designed Asian ARTMAG and High Art Society.