A merry band of “Beasties” marches across this large-scale etching, as if illustrating a fairy tale Saar invented for her children. Below the trumpeting elephant, whose face is obscured by an eagle, stands a proud lion, the symbol of Saar’s astrological sign, Leo, and a frequent motif in her work. Rows of smaller animals, made with rubber stamps, line up beneath them, while a floating mermaid appears on a banner above. Saar has joyously included a range of characters, both real and imagined: as she has frequently said, “You can make art out of anything.”
Gallery label from Betye Saar: The Legends of Black Girl’s Window, October 21, 2019–January 4, 2020
