Betye Saar: the artist who helped spark the black women's movement

Heralded by the activist Angela Davis, the work of the 92-year-old remains prescient with its focus on how racism is entrenched in American culture

In 1972, a black cultural center in Berkeley, California, put out a call for artists to help create an exhibit themed around black heroes. One African American artist, Betye Saar, answered. She created an artwork from a “mammy” doll and armed it with a rifle.

According to Angela Davis, a Black Panther activist, the piece by Saar, titled The Liberation of Aunt Jemima, sparked the black women’s movement. Now, the artist’s legacy is going on view in New York with Betye Saar: Keepin’ It Clean, an exhibit opening on 2 November at the New York Historical Society, featuring 24 artworks made between 1997 and 2017 from her continuing series incorporating washboards.

Continue reading...

from Culture | The Guardian https://ift.tt/2zfdqjh