The Saar family, "Mixed-Media" Artists

Standing at the beginning of the art exhibition there is a sculpture of a young girl carrying the heavy weight of cloth above her head. Immediately, I could feel the weight the little girl was carrying on her head. As she greets visitors, the weight of sorrow sits heavily upon her, but probably not by request. This piece was done by Betye Saar; it represents the burden that her father had bestowed upon her at a very young age. Her father had asked to her to take care of the family when she was only 5. Later on, she would try to come out as an artist, but it was not always so easy, because she would have to follow her mother’s golden footsteps. The sculpture led the way for themes of depression and oppression alike as I continued through the rest of the exhibit. The sculpture that represents these themes most accurately is Sapphire by Alison Saar. Betye, and her two daughters, Lezley and Alison Saar have very similar materials in their artwork. They call themselves “mixed-media” artists. Their pieces consist not of beautiful, colorful paintings, rather they are a collection of “things” that the artists have found at flea markets and garage sales.
The sole piece that caught my eye was Sapphire by Alison Saar. The glowing, red light mesmerized me as I walked closer to it. The light captured me like some kind of hypnotist. As I got closer there were a multitude of tiny little belongings that the young lady was so willing to show. A red light is usually an indication of prostitution, the red light would be lit up outside to let people know that the business inside was prostitution. However, when I looked inside this young lady’s chest there was a whole life story. Pictures and gadgets, needles and combs, cowboys and railroads were placed throughout her chest. Even though this girl is a prostitute, this piece shows that she is still young and vulnerable. There are many good times that she has had in her life, but by opening herself up to anyone who is willing to look she has let her guard down. She is no longer able to defend herself as she journeys through life. Even more importantly, she is so young, and like a lot of girls in her culture she has chosen to take the difficult journey. She has chosen to use her body as a tool, instead of special belonging that only she has control over. All of the memories she once knew and loved can only live inside of her now.
Alison Saar has captured the problem with our society today. There are young girls that live on the street everyday, that are lost with no where to turn but, prostitution. Unlike her mother, Alison chooses to use the heart and soul when she is dealing with her pieces, rather than the mind. Alison depicts this prostitute as being sexual on the outside, but the on the inside she is nothing but a little girl who is lost and confused. If the sculpture is closed, the nipples on the outside will light up red, but when it is opened it reveals all that is inside. Like any lost girl, it seems as if her heart is pulling her in all different directions.
All together, the exhibit exposed the dark, melancholy emotions these artists have experienced in the last few years. After losing a loved one in the family, these women have continued on with their life by expressing their emotions through their art. The women experienced sorrow, depression, and anger. But their art work shows us that with time, life does go on.