It is not only Betye Saar She's a living legend, but the prolific Los Angeles artist continues to expand her impressive body of work every day.
He has been creating powerful and thought-provoking works of art since the 1960s and his pieces have been exhibited at the Smithsonian, the Museum of Modern Artthe Art Institute of Chicago and LACMA, as well as museums and galleries around the world.
In Sunday Funday, the people of Los Angeles tell us step by step their ideal Sunday in the city. Find ideas and inspiration on where to go, what to eat and how to enjoy life on the weekends.
As it approaches its centenary in July, Saar shows no signs of slowing down. He still routinely creates art and continues to garner headlines and praise. Last year, she was honored with the distinction of “Icon Artist” at the Art Basel Awards. During the upcoming Frieze Los Angeles art festival, which opens on February 26, she will be the subject of the photo installation “Betye Saar Altered Polaroids.” And this May, “Let's Get It On: The Wearable Art of Betye Saar” will debut on Roberts Projectsthe gallery that represents it. The exhibition will feature pieces from the beginning of her career as a costume and jewelry designer.
Although she is an expert in painting and photography, she is best known for assemblage, the art of juxtaposing diverse elements to form a single cohesive work. Her dioramas, sculptures, and large-scale multimedia installations explore the legacy of American slavery, confront racial injustice, and celebrate the strength and resilience of African American women.
“I work with found objects that had another purpose before they came into my hands,” Saar says while sitting at a table in her succulent-filled tiered garden. “The hardest part is going to a flea market, thrift stores, an estate sale or even just going behind a store to see what people throw away.”
Over the years, he has traveled by plane, train and automobile in search of usable materials. Meanwhile, admirers, colleagues and gallery workers have sent him curiosities from New Mexico, Tennessee, New England and beyond. His daughters – artists alison and lezleyand writer Tracye, director of her mother's studio, are also on the lookout for objects that might catch their attention.
“I've been doing this for a long time, so I have a big collection,” he says.
In fact, Saar's multi-level home studio in Laurel Canyon is filled with dozens of old empty picture frames, discarded window panes, wooden chests, antique chairs and antique clocks. But there is always room for more.
Your idea of a perfect Sunday includes searching for new (or old, as the case may be) items to use in your daily art practice. And he would go back to his roots to do it.
“Pasadena is my hometown and I still have some family that lives there,” he says.
While visiting his old haunts, he embarked on a multi-stop shopping spree and strolled through one of the San Gabriel Valley's long-time favorite attractions (where his work happens to be located). on display).
This interview has been lightly edited and condensed for length and clarity.
10 am: Search for hidden treasures
Pasadena Community College Flea Market It's something that's part of “the hunt.” Alison usually drives, sometimes Tracye. Some people arrive early to get the deals; We are not like that anymore. I like to look around and sometimes find interesting fabrics, scarves to wear, and strangely shaped succulents for my garden. I almost never find really good antiques there, because they are found in antique stores and are usually quite expensive. But I bought an old, rusty metal bird cage that the seller said was from France. I like rusty things for my art. I also found an indigo blue kimono to wear to an art event later this year.
1:00 p.m.: recharge your batteries with Thai food
I would go down Fair Oaks Avenue; There are some second-hand stores. It's usually nothing I can use, but I still can't say no. I have to go see for myself. Then, lunch at Saladang Garden. I always order chicken sate and green papaya salad. Last time I went, we tried the Thai corn fritter which was really good and crunchy. If the food is too spicy, I can't eat it. But someone in my group always eats something spicy and I can add a spoonful to mine.
2:30 p.m.: More shopping
I am attracted to all the strange things in gold bug. Notebooks and knick-knacks, curious vintage-style things with animals or interesting prints, strange candles. Sometimes I surprise myself by buying something. They have a mix of things that, whether it's color or texture, I feel like I can recycle and fit into an art object I'm making.
3:30 pm: Visit a childhood haunt (with more shopping)
I really like it the HuntingtonThe gardens. I remember the first time I went was with my mother and a friend of hers, and we walked. All the roads were dirt, you know, they hadn't even gotten around to paving them yet. But I just fell in love with him. And I really like their gift shop.
6 pm: Head west for a culinary classic.
If I go somewhere for lunch, I usually have leftovers to warm me up. There's nothing wrong with leftovers – if you liked it the first time, you'll like it again! But if I had to go out to dinner, the apple pan. I would go there in the 80s with my daughters. I like their sandwiches or the hickory cheeseburger, and there are good fries.
8 pm: Enjoy a moment of relaxation
Before I go to sleep I like to watch the news because otherwise I don't know what's going on. I also like a lot of PBS shows. “Finding Your Roots” or dramas like “Sister Boniface Mysteries” and “Call the Midwife,” which have been going on forever!
