Saar made these drawings while visiting an exhibition of handmade Black dolls. Produced between 1850 and 1940, the dolls were likely created by African Americans for children they knew. Until recently, positive, nonstereotyped Black dolls were rarely produced by commercial manufacturers.
Betye Saar
Spread from Black Dolls sketchbook, San Diego, Mingei International Museum, 24 May 2015
Photocopy, ink, watercolor, marker, and paper
collage on board
Courtesy of the artist and Roberts Projects, Los Angeles, California. © Betye Saar.
photo © Museum Associates/LACMA