Saar, Betye
1926-present · Contribution: 1960s-present
Assemblage and mixed-media art; densely layered constructions of found objects exploring African American identity, spirituality, memory, and the reclamation of racist imagery; best known for 'The Liberation of Aunt Jemima' (1972)
Portraits are AI-generated interpretations, not photographs.
Impact on the world
A pioneer of assemblage art and a key figure of the Black Arts Movement; 'The Liberation of Aunt Jemima' transformed a derogatory 'mammy' figurine into an armed revolutionary, becoming an icon of Black and feminist art.
Life & background
African-American artist born Betye Irene Brown on July 30, 1926 in Los Angeles, CA. Trained in design and printmaking before turning to assemblage in the 1960s; her work was the subject of a solo show at the Whitney (1975) and major museum retrospectives.
Sources
- Brooklyn Museum; Hammer Museum (UCLA); Artsy
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