Synopsis

Betye Saar, born in Los Angeles in 1926, emerged in the 1960s as a powerful figure in the redefinition of African American art. Over the past forty years, she has injected African American visual histories into mainstream visual culture by blending spiritual, political, and cultural iconography to create complex works with universal impact. This beautifully illustrated book accompanies an exhibition of Saar's work, showcasing the extraordinary depth and breadth of her achievement. It provides multiple vantage points from which to gain a richer understanding of Saar's career, American art of the 1960s, feminism, contemporary art, and California culture and politics.
Copub: University of Michigan Museum of Art

Library Journal

With stunning photographic reproductions and insightful essays, this volume does justice and then some to the talent and energy that characterize the works of assemblage artist Saar, undoubtedly one of the most gifted and unique personalities of the contemporary American art scene. Such a remarkable achievement is fitting for a volume that tackles in depth, and gets its title from, the use and place of photography in Saar's creations. Besides Steward (director, Univ. of Michigan Museum of Art, UMMA), the essays are authored by Kellie Jones (history, art, & African American studies, Yale), Lowery Stokes Sim (director, Studio Museum, Harlem, NY), Richard C dida Smith (history, Univ. of California, Berkeley), Sean Ulmer (curator, Modern and Contemporary Art, UMMA), and Deborah Willis (photography & imaging, NYU). The inclusion of an artist's chronology at the end provides a thoughtful finish to an overall brilliant endeavor. Two upcoming exhibitions accompany this book: West Palm Beach's Norton Museum in Florida (Mar. 18-Jun. 11) and the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts in Philadelphia (Sept. 8-Dec. 3). Highly recommended for all libraries.-Edward K. Owusu-Ansah, CUNY Coll. of Staten Island Lib. Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.

Biography

James Christen Steward is Director of the University of Michigan Museum of Art (UMMA). Deborah Willis is Professor of Photography and Imaging at New York University. Kellie Jones is Assistant Professor of the History of Art and African American Studies at Yale University. Richard Cándida Smith is Professor of History at the University of California, Berkeley. Lowery Stokes Sims is Director of the Studio Museum, Harlem, New York. Sean M. Ulmer is Curator of Modern and Contemporary Art at UMMA. Katharine Derosier Weiss is Exhibitions Assistant at the University of Michigan Museum of Art.