Roberts Projects in Los Angeles organized an exhibition to recognize the earliest professional works of Betye Saar, the prolific assemblage artist who worked on the African American experience for over seven decades before her death last month. The show marks the occasion of what would have been her 100th birthday.
The exhibition sheds light on a lesser-known facet of Saar's canon: costume design. Over 200 archival objects are on view, including work in costume design, dancing, photography, drawing, jewelry, garments, greeting cards, and album covers. A full-wall photograph of a young Saar dancing acts as the exhibition's greeter.
The range of work on display depicts Saar's broad curiosities and her particular skill in identifying various artistic potentials and fitting them together across multiple disciplines early in her career.
