Betye Saar
Encyclopedia
Betye Irene Saar is an American
artist, known for her work in the field of assemblage
. Her education included a time at the University of California, Los Angeles
, from where she received a degree in design in 1949, and graduate studies in printmaking and education at Pasadena City College
, California State University, Long Beach
, from 1958 to 1962.
Her interest in assemblage was inspired by a 1968 exhibition by Joseph Cornell
, though she also cites the influence of Simon Rodia
's Watts Towers
, which she witnessed being built in her childhood. She began creating work typically consisting of found objects arranged within boxes or windows, with items drawing on various cultures reflecting Saar's own mixed heritage (African, Native American, Irish and Creole).
In the late 1960s Saar began collecting images of Aunt Jemima
, Uncle Tom
, Little Black Sambo
, and other stereotyped African American figures from folk culture and advertising. She incorporated them into collages and assemblages, transforming them into statements of political and social protest. In the 1970s Saar shifted focus again, exploring ritual and tribal objects from Africa as well as items from African American folk traditions. In new boxed assemblages, she combined shamanistic tribal fetishes with images and objects intended to evoke the magical and the mystical.
When her great-aunt died, Saar became immersed in family memorabilia and began making more personal and intimate assemblages that incorporated nostalgic mementos of her great aunt’s life. She arranged old photographs, letters, lockets, dried flowers, and handkerchiefs in shrinelike boxes to suggest memory, loss, and the passage of time.
In the early 1980s Saar taught in Los Angeles at the University of California and the Otis Art Institute now called Otis College of Art and Design
. In her own work she began using a larger, room-size scale, creating site-specific installations, including altar-like shrines exploring the relationship between technology and spirituality, and incorporating her interests in mysticism
and Voodoo
. Pairing computer chips with mystical amulets and charms, these monumental constructions suggested the need for an alliance of both systems of knowledge: the technical and the spiritual.
Saar was a part of the black arts movement in the 1970s, challenging myths and stereotypes. In the 1990s, her work was politicized while she continued to challenge the negative ideas of African Americans. One of her better-known and controversial pieces is that entitled “The Liberation of Aunt Jemima.” It is a “mammy” doll carrying a broom in one hand and a shotgun in the other, and placed in front of the syrup labels. Her work began with found objects arranged in boxes or windows. The items would reflect her mixed ancestry.
Her ancestry is a mixture of African-American
, Irish
, and Native American
. She married a white ceramist
and conservator
.
Betye Saar conttinues to live and work in Los Angeles
. Saar is the mother of two artists, Alison Saar
and Lezley Saar.
She has been awarded honorary doctorate degrees by California College of Arts and Crafts, California Institute of the Arts
, Massachusetts College of Art
, Otis College of Art and Design
, and San Francisco Art Institute
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
artist, known for her work in the field of assemblage
Assemblage (art)
Assemblage is an artistic process. In the visual arts, it consists of making three-dimensional or two-dimensional artistic compositions by putting together found objects...
. Her education included a time at the University of California, Los Angeles
University of California, Los Angeles
The University of California, Los Angeles is a public research university located in the Westwood neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, USA. It was founded in 1919 as the "Southern Branch" of the University of California and is the second oldest of the ten campuses...
, from where she received a degree in design in 1949, and graduate studies in printmaking and education at Pasadena City College
Pasadena City College
Pasadena City College is a community college in Pasadena, California, USA, located on Colorado Boulevard. PCC is the third largest community college campus in the United States. PCC was founded in 1924 as Pasadena Junior College. In 1954, Pasadena Junior College merged with another junior...
, California State University, Long Beach
California State University, Long Beach
California State University, Long Beach is the second largest campus of the California State University system and the third largest university in the state of California by enrollment...
, from 1958 to 1962.
Her interest in assemblage was inspired by a 1968 exhibition by Joseph Cornell
Joseph Cornell
Joseph Cornell was an American artist and sculptor, one of the pioneers and most celebrated exponents of assemblage...
, though she also cites the influence of Simon Rodia
Simon Rodia
Sabato "Simon" Rodia was an Italian-American architect. Rodia created the Watts Towers, one of the most famous landmarks in Los Angeles.-Biography:...
's Watts Towers
Watts Towers
The Watts Towers or Towers of Simon Rodia in the Watts district of Los Angeles, California, is a collection of 17 interconnected structures, two of which reach heights of over 99 feet . The Towers were built by Italian immigrant construction worker Sabato Rodia in his spare time over a period of...
, which she witnessed being built in her childhood. She began creating work typically consisting of found objects arranged within boxes or windows, with items drawing on various cultures reflecting Saar's own mixed heritage (African, Native American, Irish and Creole).
In the late 1960s Saar began collecting images of Aunt Jemima
Aunt Jemima
Aunt Jemima is a trademark for pancake flour, syrup, and other breakfast foods currently owned by the Quaker Oats Company of Chicago. The trademark dates to 1893, although Aunt Jemima pancake mix debuted in 1889. The Quaker Oats Company first registered the Aunt Jemima trademark in April 1937...
, Uncle Tom
Uncle Tom
Uncle Tom is a derogatory term for a person who perceives themselves to be of low status, and is excessively subservient to perceived authority figures; particularly a black person who behaves in a subservient manner to white people....
, Little Black Sambo
Little Black Sambo
The Story of Little Black Sambo is a children's book written and illustrated by Helen Bannerman, and first published by Grant Richards in October 1899 as one in a series of small-format books called The Dumpy Books for Children....
, and other stereotyped African American figures from folk culture and advertising. She incorporated them into collages and assemblages, transforming them into statements of political and social protest. In the 1970s Saar shifted focus again, exploring ritual and tribal objects from Africa as well as items from African American folk traditions. In new boxed assemblages, she combined shamanistic tribal fetishes with images and objects intended to evoke the magical and the mystical.
When her great-aunt died, Saar became immersed in family memorabilia and began making more personal and intimate assemblages that incorporated nostalgic mementos of her great aunt’s life. She arranged old photographs, letters, lockets, dried flowers, and handkerchiefs in shrinelike boxes to suggest memory, loss, and the passage of time.
In the early 1980s Saar taught in Los Angeles at the University of California and the Otis Art Institute now called Otis College of Art and Design
Otis College of Art and Design
Otis College of Art and Design is an art and design college in Los Angeles, California.The school's programs, accredited by WASC and National Association of Schools of Art and Design, include four-year BFA degrees in illustration, fine arts, graphic design, architecture, landscape design, interior...
. In her own work she began using a larger, room-size scale, creating site-specific installations, including altar-like shrines exploring the relationship between technology and spirituality, and incorporating her interests in mysticism
Mysticism
Mysticism is the knowledge of, and especially the personal experience of, states of consciousness, i.e. levels of being, beyond normal human perception, including experience and even communion with a supreme being.-Classical origins:...
and Voodoo
Louisiana Voodoo
Louisiana Voodoo, also known as New Orleans Voodoo, describes a set of underground religious practices which originated from the traditions of the African diaspora. It is a cultural form of the Afro-American religions which developed within the French, Spanish, and Creole speaking African American...
. Pairing computer chips with mystical amulets and charms, these monumental constructions suggested the need for an alliance of both systems of knowledge: the technical and the spiritual.
Saar was a part of the black arts movement in the 1970s, challenging myths and stereotypes. In the 1990s, her work was politicized while she continued to challenge the negative ideas of African Americans. One of her better-known and controversial pieces is that entitled “The Liberation of Aunt Jemima.” It is a “mammy” doll carrying a broom in one hand and a shotgun in the other, and placed in front of the syrup labels. Her work began with found objects arranged in boxes or windows. The items would reflect her mixed ancestry.
Her ancestry is a mixture of African-American
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
, Irish
Irish people
The Irish people are an ethnic group who originate in Ireland, an island in northwestern Europe. Ireland has been populated for around 9,000 years , with the Irish people's earliest ancestors recorded having legends of being descended from groups such as the Nemedians, Fomorians, Fir Bolg, Tuatha...
, and Native American
Native Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
. She married a white ceramist
Ceramic art
In art history, ceramics and ceramic art mean art objects such as figures, tiles, and tableware made from clay and other raw materials by the process of pottery. Some ceramic products are regarded as fine art, while others are regarded as decorative, industrial or applied art objects, or as...
and conservator
Conservator (museum)
A conservator is a professional who works on the conservation of objects. Their work involves determining the structural stability of an object, addressing problems of chemical and physical deterioration, and performing corrective treatment based on an evaluation of the aesthetic, historic, and...
.
Betye Saar conttinues to live and work in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
. Saar is the mother of two artists, Alison Saar
Alison Saar
Alison Saar is an American artist who was born in Los Angeles, California and grew up in Laurel Canyon, California. Her parents were Betye Saar, a well-known African American artist, and Richard Saar, an art conservationist. Both parents encouraged their three daughters, all artists, to look at...
and Lezley Saar.
She has been awarded honorary doctorate degrees by California College of Arts and Crafts, California Institute of the Arts
California Institute of the Arts
The California Institute of the Arts, commonly referred to as CalArts, is located in Valencia, in Los Angeles County, California. It was incorporated in 1961 as the first degree-granting institution of higher learning in the United States created specifically for students of both the visual and the...
, Massachusetts College of Art
Massachusetts College of Art
Massachusetts College of Art and Design is a publicly-funded college of visual and applied art, founded in 1873. It is one of the oldest art schools, the only publicly-funded free-standing art school in the United States, and was the first art college in the United States to grant an artistic degree...
, Otis College of Art and Design
Otis College of Art and Design
Otis College of Art and Design is an art and design college in Los Angeles, California.The school's programs, accredited by WASC and National Association of Schools of Art and Design, include four-year BFA degrees in illustration, fine arts, graphic design, architecture, landscape design, interior...
, and San Francisco Art Institute
San Francisco Art Institute
San Francisco Art Institute is a school of higher education in contemporary art with the main campus in the Russian Hill district of San Francisco, California. Its graduate center is in the Dogpatch neighborhood. The private, non-profit institution is accredited by WASC and is a member of the...
.
Selected Solo Exhibitions
- 2006 Crocker Art Museum, Sacramento, CA
- 2000 Savannah College of Art & Design, Savannah, GA and Michael Rosenfeld Gallery, New York City, NY.
- 1999 The University Art Museum, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM. and Anderson Ranch Art Center, Snowmass, CO. and The Detroit Institute of Arts, Detroit, MI.
- 1998 Michael Rosenfeld Gallery, New York, NY. and Jan Baum Gallery, Los Angeles, CA. and California African-American MuseumCalifornia African-American MuseumThe California African American Museum is a museum located in Exposition Park, Los Angeles, California, USA.-History:The museum opened in 1981, in temporary quarters at the California Museum of Science and Industry . The current facility was built with State and private funds of around $5 million...
, Los Angeles, CA. - 1997 Tacoma Art MuseumTacoma Art MuseumIn May 2003, Tacoma Art Museum opened a new facility twice the size of its previous home, allowing the museum to expand on its vision and mission. American Institute of Architects AIA Gold Medal winner Antoine Predock designed the building located in the heart of Tacoma’s Cultural District...
, Tacoma, WA. - 1996 Des Moines Art Center, Des Moines, IA and The Palmer Museum of Art, Penn State College, PA. and de Saisset Museum, Santa Clara, CA. and Joselyn Art Museum, Omaha, NE.
- 1994 Santa Monica Museum of ArtSanta Monica Museum of ArtThe Santa Monica Museum of Art is an independent non-collecting art museum located in Santa Monica, California. It exhibits the work of local, national, and international contemporary artists....
, Santa Monica, CA. - 1993 Fresno Art Museum, Fresno, CA.
- 1992 The Ritual Journey. Josel off Gallery, University of Hartford, CT.
- 1991 Objects Gallery, Chicago, IL.
- 1990 Museum of Contemporary Art, Los AngelesMuseum of Contemporary Art, Los AngelesThe Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles is a contemporary art museum with three locations in greater Los Angeles, California. The main branch is located on Grand Avenue in Downtown Los Angeles, near Walt Disney Concert Hall...
, CA. - 1989 Wellington City Art Gallery, Wellington, New Zea land and Art space, Auckland, New Zea land
- 1988 Taichung Museum of Art, Taichung, Taiwan.
- 1987 Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine ArtsPennsylvania Academy of the Fine ArtsThe Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts is a museum and art school in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It was founded in 1805 and is the oldest art museum and school in the United States. The academy's museum is internationally known for its collections of 19th and 20th century American paintings,...
, Philadelphia, PA. and Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA. - 1984 MOCA, Los Angeles, CA. and Georgia State University Art Gallery, Atlanta, GA.
- 1983 Woman’s Art Movement, Adelaide, Australia. and Canberra School of Art, Canberra ACT, Australia.
- 1982 Quay Gallery, San Francisco, CA.
- 1981 Baum-Silverman Gallery, Los Angeles, CA. and Monique Knowlton Gallery, New York, NY.
- 1980 Studio Museum in HarlemStudio Museum in HarlemThe Studio Museum in Harlem is an American contemporary art museum in the Harlem neighborhood of New York City, New York. It was founded in 1968 as the first such museum in the U.S. devoted to the art of African-Americans, specializing in 19th and 20th century work as well work of artists of...
. New York, NY. - 1979 Baum-Silverman Gallery, Los Angeles, CA.
- 1977 Baun-Silverman Gallery, Los Angeles, CA. and San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, San Francisco, CA.
- 1976 Wadsworth AtheneumWadsworth AtheneumThe Wadsworth Atheneum is the oldest public art museum in the United States, with significant holdings of French and American Impressionist paintings, Hudson River School landscapes, modernist masterpieces and contemporary works, as well as extensive holdings in early American furniture and...
, Hartford, CT. and Monique Knowlton Gallery, New York, NY. - 1975 Whitney Museum of American ArtWhitney Museum of American ArtThe Whitney Museum of American Art, often referred to simply as "the Whitney", is an art museum with a focus on 20th- and 21st-century American art. Located at 945 Madison Avenue at 75th Street in New York City, the Whitney's permanent collection contains more than 18,000 works in a wide variety of...
, New York, NY. - 1973 California State University, Los Angeles, CA.
Awards and honors
- 1997 The Visual Artists Award, The Flintridge Foundation, Pasadena, CA.
- 1995 Honorary Doctorate Degrees: California Institute of the ArtsCalifornia Institute of the ArtsThe California Institute of the Arts, commonly referred to as CalArts, is located in Valencia, in Los Angeles County, California. It was incorporated in 1961 as the first degree-granting institution of higher learning in the United States created specifically for students of both the visual and the...
and Massachusetts College of ArtMassachusetts College of ArtMassachusetts College of Art and Design is a publicly-funded college of visual and applied art, founded in 1873. It is one of the oldest art schools, the only publicly-funded free-standing art school in the United States, and was the first art college in the United States to grant an artistic degree... - 1993 Distinguished Artist Award, Fresno Art Museum
- 1992 James Van Der Zee Award, Brandywine Workshop, Philadelphia, PA.
- 1992 Honorary Doctorate Degrees: Otis College of Art and DesignOtis College of Art and DesignOtis College of Art and Design is an art and design college in Los Angeles, California.The school's programs, accredited by WASC and National Association of Schools of Art and Design, include four-year BFA degrees in illustration, fine arts, graphic design, architecture, landscape design, interior...
and San Francisco Art InstituteSan Francisco Art InstituteSan Francisco Art Institute is a school of higher education in contemporary art with the main campus in the Russian Hill district of San Francisco, California. Its graduate center is in the Dogpatch neighborhood. The private, non-profit institution is accredited by WASC and is a member of the... - 1991 John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation.
- 1991 Honorary Doctorate Degree: California College of the ArtsCalifornia College of the ArtsCalifornia College of the Arts , founded in 1907, is known for its broad, interdisciplinary programs in art, design, architecture, and writing. It has two campuses, one in Oakland and one in San Francisco, California, USA...
- 1990 J. Paul Getty Fund for the Visual Arts Fellowship.
- 1990 22nd Annual Artist Award, The Studio Museum in Harlem, New York, NY.
- 1984 and 1974 National Endowment for the Arts Artist Fellowship
Selected Collections
- Boca Raton Museum of ArtBoca Raton Museum of ArtThe Boca Raton Museum of Art is located at 501 Plaza Real, Boca Raton, Florida in Mizner Park. It houses works of art by a number of the great masters.-About:...
, Boca Raton, FL - Herbert F. Johnson Museum of Art, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY.
- High Museum of Art, Atlanta, GA.
- Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture GardenHirshhorn Museum and Sculpture GardenThe Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden is an art museum beside the National Mall, in Washington, D.C., the United States. The museum was initially endowed during the 1960s with the permanent art collection of Joseph H. Hirshhorn. It was designed by architect Gordon Bunshaft and is part of the...
, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC. - Kresge Art Museum State University, East Lansing, MI.
- Los Angeles County Museum of ArtLos Angeles County Museum of ArtThe Los Angeles County Museum of Art is an art museum in Los Angeles, California. It is located on Wilshire Boulevard along Museum Row in the Miracle Mile vicinity of Los Angeles, adjacent to the George C. Page Museum and La Brea Tar Pits....
, Los Angeles, CA. - Montclair Art Museum, Montclair, NJ.
- Museum of Fine ArtsMuseum of Fine Arts, BostonThe Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, Massachusetts, is one of the largest museums in the United States, attracting over one million visitors a year. It contains over 450,000 works of art, making it one of the most comprehensive collections in the Americas...
, Boston, MA. - Munson-Williams-Proctor Institute, Museum of Art, Utica, NY.
- National Museum of American Art, Washington, DC.
- The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY.
- The New Jersey State MuseumNew Jersey State MuseumThe New Jersey State Museum is located at 205 West State Street in Trenton, New Jersey, United States, overlooking the Delaware River. The Museum is operated as part of the New Jersey Department of State. General admission is free....
, Newark, NJ. - The Newark Museum, Newark, NJ.
- The Oakland Museum, Oakland, CA.
- The Palmer Museum of Art, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA.
- The Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, Philadelphia, PA.
- Philadelphia Museum of ArtPhiladelphia Museum of ArtThe Philadelphia Museum of Art is among the largest art museums in the United States. It is located at the west end of the Benjamin Franklin Parkway in Philadelphia's Fairmount Park. The Museum was established in 1876 in conjunction with the Centennial Exposition of the same year...
, Philadelphia, PA. - San Francisco Museum of Modern ArtSan Francisco Museum of Modern ArtThe San Francisco Museum of Modern Art is a modern art museum located in San Francisco, California. A nonprofit organization, SFMOMA holds an internationally recognized collection of modern and contemporary art and was the first museum on the West Coast devoted solely to 20th century art...
, San Francisco, CA. - Smith College Museum of Art, Northampton, MA.
- The Studio Museum in Harlem, New York, NY.
- Tacoma Art Museum, Tacoma, WA.
- University of California, Berkeley Art Museum, Berkeley, CA.
- University of Massachusetts, Herter Art Gallery, Amherst, MA.
- Walker Art CenterWalker Art CenterThe Walker Art Center is a contemporary art center in Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States. The Walker is considered one of the nation's "big five" museums for modern art along with the Museum of Modern Art, the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, the Guggenheim Museum and the Hirshhorn...
, Minneapolis, MN. - Whitney Museum of American ArtWhitney Museum of American ArtThe Whitney Museum of American Art, often referred to simply as "the Whitney", is an art museum with a focus on 20th- and 21st-century American art. Located at 945 Madison Avenue at 75th Street in New York City, the Whitney's permanent collection contains more than 18,000 works in a wide variety of...
, New York, NY.
Selected bibliography
- Paysour, F. "Wonders of the House of Saar." International Review of African American Art v. 20 no. 3 (2005) p. 51-3
- Willette, J. S. M. "Stitching Lives: Fabric in the Art of Betye Saar." Fiberarts v. 23 (March/April 1997) p. 44-81
- Van Proyen, M. "A Conversation with Betye and Alison Saar" [interview]. Artweek v. 22 (August 15, 1991) p. 3+
- Etra, J. "Family Ties." ARTnews v. 90 (May 1991) p. 128-33
- Saar, Betye, et al. 2005. Betye Saar : extending the frozen moment. Ann Arbor; Berkeley: University of Michigan Museum of Art; University of California Press.
Film and Video
- Betye and Alison Saar [videorecording] : Conjure Women of the Arts. by Linda Freeman and David Irving. c1996, 28 minutes, Color. Chappaqua, NY: L& S Video.
External links
- Betye Saar's website
- Betye Saar interviews and biographical information
- Bettye Saar in 'Voices and Images of California Art'
- Betye Saar's oral history video excerpts at The National Visionary Leadership Project