still picture identifier; 306-par-9-50a
by BLACK ENTERPRISE Editors
The Black feminist artist liberated Aunt Jemima.
Betye Saar Revolutionized Assemblage Art
According to gallery representatives at Roberts Projects, Saar possessed an uncanny capacity to collect vintage antiques, discarded window frames, and racial collectibles at swap meets, elevating ordinary objects into spiritual altars. Her breakthrough 1969 piece, Black Girl’s Window, utilized a salvaged window frame to explore themes of identity, astrology, and grief following her father’s early passing.
However, it was her seminal 1972 assemblage art piece, The Liberation of Aunt Jemima, that catapulted her into national prominence. Created in direct response to the 1968 assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., the work weaponized a racist mammy caricature by equipping her with a rifle and hand grenade. Activist Angela Davis famously heralded The Liberation of Aunt Jemima as the artwork that effectively launched the Black women’s movement, establishing Saar as a premier Black feminist artist.
Why Betye Saar Remains a Monumental Black Feminist Artist
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Source: Black Enterprise
