Objects, Obsessions and Obligations were incorporated themes in Betye Saar's artist statement at a recent exhibit I was privileged to see. Those three words stayed with me beyond the hour or so that I strolled through the galleries of her work at the SMOCA. It was my first glimpse into this artist's life (still going strong at the age of 90) and it rocked me to my feminist core.
Betye graduated in 1949 from UCLA and her work expands over six decades. Her use of the everyday from her past: washboards, linen handkerchiefs, bird cages, ironing board - all transcend us (the observer) into her world as a black woman and the struggles she endured.. The subtle "KKK" embroidered on white linen, fresh on the line and starched to perfection, sent me back to a life that I cannot even imagine. I do know Betye must be a badass. Very few women (let alone black women) aspired and completed higher education. Her message in her creations do not subdue the situation of the racism and struggles of her time, they amplify it loud and clear.
from www.betyesaar.net
Before I left the exhibit, a guide (very proudly) told me that Bety herself came and oversaw the installation, attended the opening, chatted with patrons, signed books - all with no signs of fatigue. Bety is a warrior and I am happy to have discovered her. I will forever keep those three words in my memory: Objects, Obsessions and Obligations and use them as reminders of what we cherish or hold onto in our lives and how to release those that don't service us.
Find your warrior, xo vagi
