Legends from Los Angeles | Crocker Art Museum

Alison Saar (American, born 1956), Torch Song from the Copacetic portfolio, 2019. Linocut on handmade Japanese Hamada kozo paper, 19 1/2 x 18 in. Crocker Art Museum purchase with funds provided by the Marcy and Mort Friedman Acquisition Fund; and Janet Mohle-Boetani, M.D., and Mark Manasse, 2019.60.5. © Alison Saar.

Legends from Los Angeles

Betye, Lezley, and Alison Saar in the Crocker Collection

January 24, 2021 — August 22, 2021

Legends from Los Angeles features approximately 20 paintings, prints, and mixed media works, all from—or promised to—the Crocker Art Museum.

Betye Saar (American, born 1926), Woman with Two Parrots, 2010. Mixed media collage on paperboard, 12 x 24 5/8 in. Crocker Art Museum, gift of Emily Leff and James Davis III, 2017.67.7. © Betye Saar / Roberts Projects, Los Angeles, California.

Lezley Saar (American, born 1953), I turned by back on the ocean defacing the ocean, 2019. Paper collage on photograph, 10 1/2 x 8 1/4 in. Crocker Art Museum purchase with funds from the Forrest and Shirley Plant Fund, 2020. 90 .1. © Lezley Saar. Photo: Agust Agustsson, courtesy of Walter Maciel Gallery.

Betye Saar (American, born 1926), We Was Mostly ‘Bout Survival, 1998. Mixed media, 25 5/8 x 19 7/8 in. Crocker Art Museum, gift of Shirley and Guy Moore, 2018.74. © Betye Saar / Roberts Projects, Los Angeles, California.

Lezley Saar (American, born 1953), Zerpenta Dambullah: Born under the shade of a black willow tree in New Orleans in 1826 sat on a rock turning rain into tobacco smoke, 2019.. Acrylic on fabric with fringing, braided tassels, and curtain rod, 68 x 40 in. Crocker Art Museum purchase with funds provided by Emily Leff and James Davis III, 2019.98. © Lezley Saar. Photo: Agust Agustsson, courtesy of Walter Maciel Gallery.

Alison Saar (American, born 1956), Hades D.W.P. II, 2016. Etched glass jars, water, dye, wood, cloth and ink transfer, electronics, found ladles and cups. 30 x 50 x 16 in. Crocker Art Museum, gift of Loren G. Lipson, M.D., 2018.3. © Alison Saar. Photo: John Wynn / Lafayette Art Galleries.

Betye Saar (American, born 1926) , Remember Friendship, 1975. Mixed media. Crocker Art Museum, gift of the Sacramento Chapter of Links, Inc., 1975.32.

Alison Saar (American, born 1956), Table for Two from the Copacetic portfolio, 2019. Linocut on handmade Japanese Hamada kozo paper, 19 1/2 x 18 in. Crocker Art Museum purchase with funds provided by the Marcy and Mort Friedman Acquisition Fund; and Janet Mohle - Boetani, M.D., and Mark Manasse, 201 9.60. 6 . © Alison Saar. Photo: Courtes

Click here to view select works from the exhibition.

In the 1970s, Betye Saar (born 1926) emerged as part of the Black Arts Movement and remains best known for her collage and assemblage works that challenge racial stereotypes. Internationally acclaimed, she has received multiple lifetime achievement awards in recent years.

Betye Saar’s success continues through her own work and that of her daughters, Lezley Saar (born 1953) and Alison Saar (born 1956), who are also accomplished artists. While they too engage with themes of race, gender, spirituality, and identity, often through narrative, each contributes a unique voice. Like their mother, both daughters were born in Los Angeles, where all three artists continue their work today.

Legends from Los Angeles features approximately 20 paintings, prints, and mixed media works, all from—or promised to—the Crocker Art Museum. Many are recent acquisitions, including a signature work by Lezley Saar, the first piece to join the Museum’s collection. In recognition of the Saar women and their multifaceted legacy, this exhibition coincides with Black History Month (February), Women’s History Month (March), and Mother’s Day (Sunday, May 9). Learn more on our blog, The Oculus, by clicking HERE.

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