Saar’s irreverent paintings of dolls from her collection celebrate the catharsis she found in play.
Betye Saar
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A Landmark Show of Black Women Artists Gets a Second Life
Fifty years ago, the historic Sapphire Show modeled a Black feminist ethics of uplifting one another when others fail to do so.
Posted inFilm
At Sundance, Tracing the Potential of Visual Art as an Agent of Change
Rounding out our Sundance coverage, here’s a look at some of the most exciting visual arts-focused films that debuted at the festival.
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A Podcast on Radical Women Unearths Rare Interviews With Alice Neel, Betye Saar, and More
This season of the Recording Artists podcast, hosted by Helen Molesworth, explores what it has meant to be a woman and artist through the lives of six iconic artists.
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A Previously Unseen Side of Betye Saar
At the Museum of Modern Art, spending time with Saar’s early inner self revealed a great deal about her trajectory into genius.
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Betye Saar’s Never-Before-Seen Sketchbooks Offer Deep Insights
The sketchbooks reveal how Saar’s practice has evolved over time, and how time itself is a major thread in her work.
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The Continuing Legacy of the Mystical, Political Betye Saar
A 1977 documentary explores how Betye Saar’s mythic altars illustrate the personal and political implications of Black identity.
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Betye Saar Washes the Congenial Veneer Off a Sordid History
Saar’s work is a poignant depiction of this nation’s fraught history of race relations and gender politics, and this exhibition demonstrates the need for more major retrospectives of her.
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A Sports-Inspired Exhibit That’s Not Quite a Slam Dunk
March Madness at Fort Gansevoort cleverly presents the appurtenances of sports: the equipment, trophies, and objects that adorn athletic bodies.
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Eight Decades of Sculpture by African American Women in LA
Opening this Saturday at Landing Gallery, Signifying Form features sculpture by African American women artists working in Los Angeles between 1935 and 2016.
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Betye and Alison Saar Talk Art at the California African American Museum
In their mother-daughter conversation, Betye and Alison Saar will talk about their art, collaborations, and shared experiences as family.
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Decoding Betye Saar’s Uneasy Symbolism
A survey of the American artist’s work at Milan’s Fondazione Prada showcases her ability to manipulate not only racist iconography, but also personal symbols and autobiographic narratives.