Betye Ireen Saar

Born Betye Irene Brown on July 30, 1926, Betye Ireen Saar is an American artist and educator. She is known for her assemblages satirizing racist attitudes against blacks, and for installations containing mystical themes. [ [http://www.aaregistry.com/african_american_history/2013/Betye_Saar_is_an_eye_catching_artist African American Registry: Betye Saar is an eye catching artist! ] ]

Professional life

Betye Ireen Saar studied design at the University of California at Los Angeles and education and printmaking at California State University at Long Beach. She developed assemblage after realizing her interest in three-dimensional objects. Assemblage is a process in which “three-dimensional artistic composition is made from putting together found objects.” The “Art of Assemblage,” a 1961 exhibition featured at the New York Museum of Modern Art showcased many well-known artists. Brown’s interest was inspired by an exhibition by Joseph Cornell. She also credits her influence to watching Simon Rodia build his famous Watts Tower out of junk.

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 more well-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.

Personal life

Her ancestry is a mixture of African-American, Irish, and Native American. She married a white ceramist and conservator.

Both of her daughters, Alison Saar and Lezley Saar, are also artists. She has received a wide variety of awards, including:
*the 1993 Distinguished Artist Award (Fresno Art Museum)
*1984 and 1974 National Endowment for the Arts Artist Fellowship
*1995 honorary Doctorate Degrees: California Institute of the Arts and Massachusetts College of Art

External links

*http://www.britannica.com/eb/article-9002988/Betye-Saar
*http://www.woofactor.com/celebrities/Betye_Saar/biography/

References