Betye Saar: The Phrenologer's Window

Betye Saar was born July 30, 1926. She grew up in Pasadena California, with her two siblings, and was raised by her mother and great aunt after the death of her father. Her mother taught their family how to turn scraps into useful things and this idea later inspired Saar. Being a multiracial woman during the depression, Saar experienced racism and sexism. These experiences also later inspired Saar. Betye Saar is an inspirational artist who creates collages, assemblages, and printmaking images that defy racial stereotypes and embrace African American folk traditions. When Betye Saar was young she would often visit her grandmother over the summer. On those trips, Saar and her siblings would explore their grandmother’s backyard and collect
The pool that was in their local community was open to white children six days a week and black children were only allowed on Wednesdays because that was the day before they refilled the water. Saar later experienced racism when she won first place in the art contest at school but was only given the third place prize money. Saar’s piece The Phrenologer’s Window is a representation of how two people can live under the same moon and sun, but can be treated and looked at completely differently. Even though Saar experienced racism constantly, she never let it affect her in a negative way. Saar often looked to God and was simply happy to have the opportunity to create beautiful pieces. A religious piece titled, Midnight Madonna’s, is a joyful piece that celebrates the joyful times in Saar’s
The blending of blue and purple in the background and the red, orange, and yellow in the flames, is beautifully executed. It makes the flames stand out against the background. After researching Betye Saar and discovering what Blow Top Blues: The Fire Next Time represents, I like it even more. Saar’s pieces fight for equality to inspire change. I also like the fact that many of Saar’s artworks are made from scrap material, including Blow Top Blues: The Fire Next Time. A scrap can be considered unusable, but she turned into art that can be used to inspire and improve the