Betye Saar: Black Dolls Blues

Foreword by Julie Roberts. Essays by Rachel Federman, Katherine Jentleson. Interview by Maddy Inez Leeser.An investigation into Saar's lifelong interest in Black dolls, with new watercolors, historic assemblages, sketchbooks and a selection of Black dolls from the artist’s collection. Published on the occasion of Betye Saar's exhibition at Roberts Projects, Culver City, California (September 18 – November 6, 2021.)This volume features new watercolor works on paper and assemblages by Betye Saar (born 1926) that incorporate the artist’s personal collection of Black dolls. These watercolors showcase the artist’s experimentation with vivid color and layered techniques, and her new interest in flat shapes. While Saar has previously used painting in her mixed-media collages, this is the first publication to focus on her watercolor works on paper.“Watercolor is something that children use, so I decided, maybe I’ll paint something about children, maybe I’ll paint the dolls,” Saar says. Referen