Crafting the past: the appropriation of found photography in the African-American revisionist art of Betye Saar
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Abstract
This thesis uses Betye Saar as a lens through which to explore how contemporary black artists address negative, inaccurate, or incomplete perspectives of African-American history. It will focus on the popular trend of referencing historic photographs in revisionist art and explore how Saar's method of including found images and objects differs from her contemporaries and the implications of her stylistic decisions. Discussion begins with the influence of African traditions on Saar's decision to make art imbued with a communal sense of power. It then transitions to the topic of the reclamation of racially derogatory images by African-Americans and the early expression of Saar's revisionist style. Next, the controversial theme of lynching photography will be used to focus on her distinctive style of revisionism, comprised of object pairing and juxtaposition. Lastly, the project will explore how her manipulation of images challenges the authority of found photographs. Overall, this project is designed to provide a bridge from this specific artist to general themes in the black art field, namely the challenging of racially prejudiced historic portrayals of African Americans and the examination of the implications of the use of photography as historical documents.
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Introduction -- A new medium for a new cultural group -- Revisionism -- The broken black body: lynching photography in the art of Betye Saar -- The colors of blackness: the visual impact of color and class stratification in Betye Saar's art -- Conclusion
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MA (Master of Arts)
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Open Access (fully available)