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Betye Saar
Portrait of Betye Saar. Site Installations, 1989. A Cultural Presentation of the United States of America. - DPLA - 222f r.jpg
Saar in 1989
Born
Betye Irene Brown

(1926-07-30)July 30, 1926
Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Died July 26, 2026(2026-07-26) (aged 99)
Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Education University of California, Los Angeles,
Pasadena City College,
California State University, Long Beach
Known for Assemblage
Movement Black Arts Movement

Betye Irene Saar (born Brown, July 30, 1926 – July 26, 2026) was an American artist. She was famous for creating art called assemblage, which means putting different objects together to tell a story. Betye Saar was also a skilled printmaker. She was part of the Black Arts Movement in the 1970s. This movement used art to explore and challenge common ideas and stereotypes about race and women. Saar's art often spoke out against unfair treatment and negative ideas about African Americans in the United States.

Betye Saar's Early Life and Schooling

Betye Irene Brown was born in Los Angeles, California, on July 30, 1926. Her parents, Jefferson Maze Brown and Beatrice Lillian Parson, met at the University of California, Los Angeles. When Betye was young, her father passed away in 1931. She then moved with her mother, brother, and sister to live with her grandmother in the Watts neighborhood of Los Angeles. Later, they moved to Pasadena, California, to live with her great-aunt Hatte Parson Keys and her husband. As a child, Betye loved collecting small, everyday items and fixing things. She started her art studies at Pasadena City College. She then went to the University of California, Los Angeles, where she earned a degree in design in 1947. She continued her studies at several other universities. While in graduate school, she married Richard Saar. They had three daughters: Tracye, Alison, and Lezley.

Betye Saar's Artistic Journey

Discovering Her Passion for Art

Betye Saar first worked as a social worker. But she soon followed her dream of becoming an artist. She started graduate school in 1958, planning to teach design. However, a printmaking class changed everything for her. She loved making prints and said it helped her move from design to fine art. Saar was inspired to create assemblages after seeing an art show by Joseph Cornell in 1967. Assemblage is an art form where artists put together different "found objects" to create a new piece. She was also deeply moved by the Watts Towers, which she saw being built when she was a child. She loved how artist Simon Rodia used everyday items like broken dishes and seashells to make tall, magical towers. A visit to the Field Museum of Natural History in Chicago was also very important. She saw many amazing African, Oceanic, and Egyptian artworks there. This helped her develop her unique artistic style. Saar began making art using found objects arranged in boxes or windows. These pieces often included items from different cultures, showing her own background as African American, Irish, and Native American.

Challenging Stereotypes in Art

Betye Saar's great-aunt Hattie taught her a lot about being a strong Black woman. This inspired Saar to show Black women with dignity in her art. One artwork, Record For Hattie (1972), is a special box with a faded picture of her aunt and other meaningful items. In the 1970s, Saar focused on creating art that celebrated Black women. She wanted to show them in a positive light and challenge unfair ideas. Her art combined ideas from the Black power movement, spirituality, and women's rights. An example is Black Girl's Window (1969). This piece uses an old window frame. It shows a painted outline of a girl pressing her face against the glass. Around her are symbols like moons, stars, and an eagle, suggesting mystery and strength. Saar also collected old images of Aunt Jemima, Uncle Tom, Little Black Sambo, and other stereotyped Black figures. These images were common in advertising during the Jim Crow era, a time of unfair laws against Black people. Saar used these images in her art to protest against racism. Her most famous work from this time is The Liberation of Aunt Jemima. Aunt Jemima was a well-known character who represented a Black woman serving others. Saar wanted to change this image. She said, "I wanted to empower her. I wanted to make her a warrior." In this artwork, Saar placed a small figure of Aunt Jemima inside a frame covered with old advertisements. This Aunt Jemima holds a broom, but also a rifle. This shows her as a strong, fighting figure, not just a servant. A symbol of Black power is also part of the artwork. Saar transformed Aunt Jemima from a harmful stereotype into a symbol of strength and freedom for Black people. Saar believed in equal rights for women, but she focused on showing the unique experiences of Black women. She wanted her art to highlight different cultures and spiritual ideas.

Assemblage and Installations

Betye Saar loved visiting flea markets and yard sales. There, she often found old items that showed unfair stereotypes of Black people. She used these items in her art to challenge those harmful ideas. In the 1970s, Saar also explored art from African traditions and African American folk culture. She made boxed assemblages that combined different objects to create a sense of magic and mystery. After her great-aunt passed away in 1974, Saar created a "nostalgic series." These artworks used family photos, letters, and other keepsakes. She arranged them in special boxes, like small shrines, to remember her aunt and think about memories and time passing. In 1977, Saar made Spirit Catcher. This piece looked like a traditional item used in ceremonies. It had a mirror on top, which some saw as a way to ward off racism. Saar often used natural materials like bamboo and shells in her art. In the early 1980s, Saar taught art at universities in Los Angeles. She also started making larger artworks called installations. These were room-sized pieces that explored ideas about technology and spirituality. She combined things like computer chips with charms to show how both science and spiritual beliefs are important. Betye Saar continued to live and work in Los Angeles, creating sculptures from found objects. She received many honorary degrees from art colleges. In 2016, she celebrated her work with new art shows. In 2019, she had two big shows at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art and the Museum of Modern Art. In 2021, she became a member of the American Academy of Arts and Letters. Her art was also part of a 2025 exhibition at the National Gallery of Art.

The Liberation of Aunt Jemima Artwork

The Liberation of Aunt Jemima, 1972, Betye Saar
The Liberation of Aunt Jemima (1972) at the Smithsonian American Art Museum

Betye Saar's famous 1972 artwork, The Liberation of Aunt Jemima, was inspired by a small figure of Aunt Jemima she found. It is a three-dimensional artwork made from different materials. Saar showed Aunt Jemima in a way that highlighted the stereotypes. The figure wears a large, colorful dress and a checkered headpiece. Her skin is very dark, and her eyes and lips are exaggerated. This shows how stereotypes made Black people look. The figure holds a broom, which symbolized that Black women were often expected to work in homes. It also stands on cotton, representing slavery. However, this Aunt Jemima also holds a rifle. By adding the rifle, Saar showed that Black women are strong and can fight for their rights. She wanted to change the idea of Aunt Jemima from a servant to a powerful warrior. Saar explained her choices: "I found a little Aunt Jemima mammy figure, a caricature of a Black slave... She had a broom in one hand, and, on the other side, I gave her a rifle... I used the derogatory image to empower the Black woman by making her a revolutionary, like she was rebelling against her past enslavement." This artwork aimed to promote support for Black independence and break the stereotypes used to describe Black women. It showed that Black women are strong and can overcome challenges.

Betye Saar's Film Work

In 1971, Betye Saar made a film called Colored Spade. After the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. in 1968, Saar started looking at the racist images of Black people that were common in American culture. Saar gathered these images into a film. The film showed a fast-moving collection of old caricatures from the late 1800s and early 1900s. These images came from things like sheet music, comics, and food containers. Eventually, the film replaced these harmful images with pictures of racist groups. It ended with a photograph of a white policeman. Then, the film zoomed out to show important figures from the Civil rights movement, like Dr. King and Angela Davis. This film helped people see how racist images were used to spread prejudice.

Betye Saar's Political Activism

In the late 1960s, Betye Saar became very involved in the Civil rights movement and issues of race. Black women artists like Saar, Faith Ringgold, and Howardena Pindell explored Black identities and spoke out against racism in the art world. They also supported women's rights. Saar met with other Black women artists in 1970 for a group art show called Sapphire (You've Come a Long Way, Baby). This was one of the first art shows in California to feature contemporary African American women artists. In an interview, Saar talked about how politics are part of life. She mentioned the fears Black parents might have for their children. She said, "It's not comfortable living in the United States... People just do the best they can."

Bettye Saar Kareem AbdulJabbar Henry Louis Gates
Betye Saar with fellow UCLA Bruin Kareem Abdul-Jabbar receiving The W.E.B. Du Bois Medal from Henry Louis Gates at Harvard on October 6, 2022.

Betye Saar Legacy Group

On July 29, 2025, Betye Saar announced the creation of the Betye Saar Legacy Group. This group was formed to protect and share her artistic legacy. It works with her long-time gallery, Roberts Projects, and includes nine art experts who worked closely with Saar. The group includes:

The Betye Saar Legacy Group works with Saar's daughters to support studies about her art and make her archives available to others.

Death

Betye Saar passed away at her home in Los Angeles on July 26, 2026. She was almost 100 years old.

Notable Works in Public Collections

Images for kids

  • Betye Saar

    Saar in 2016

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Betye Saar para niños

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