Betye Saar. Phrenology Man Digs Sol y Luna. 1966

Betye Saar Phrenology Man Digs Sol y Luna 1966

  • Not on view

Phrenology, a pseudoscience that has been definitively debunked, links portions of the human brain to different character traits and capacities. It gained popularity in the nineteenth century and was cited by proponents of slavery and segregation as proof of the inferiority of African Americans. That a black woman adopted this motif in her work may seem subversive, but according to Saar, she was attracted to phrenology as a map of the unknown, in keeping with her interest in astrology and palmistry. Her own Phrenology Man, who appears in this print and several others, has the words “SEX” and “HATE” tumbling through his mind, together with animals, flowers, and astrological signs.

Gallery label from October 21, 2019–January 4, 2020
Medium
Etching with relief-printed found objects
Dimensions
composition: 14 5/8 × 15" (37.1 × 38.1 cm); sheet (irreg.): 17 3/8 × 17 1/2" (44.1 × 44.5 cm)
Publisher
Betye Saar, Los Angeles
Printer
Betye Saar, Los Angeles
Edition
planned edition of 20, 5 known impressions
Credit
Acquired through the generosity of The Friends of Education of The Museum of Modern Art in honor of Eric J. Barkley
Object number
1196.2018
Department
Drawings and Prints

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