Betye Saar

Lo, The Mystique City

1965

Etching and aquatint with relief-printed found objects

Not on view

Saar’s “mystique city” of 1965 is populated by animals and mysterious figures peeking through windows, its skyline a mixed row of found shapes and curious details. An arc of suns, moons, and stars rises above it, inspired by a graphic the artist saw above a newspaper’s astrology column. These forms, in various arrangements and sizes, are a regular motif in the artist’s prints from 1965 on, made from copper shapes that Saar purchased in bulk at a jewelry store.

Gallery label from

Betye Saar: The Legends of Black Girl’s Window, October 21, 2019–January 4, 2020

Medium Etching and aquatint with relief-printed found objects
Dimensions plate (irreg.): 18 1/2 × 19 13/16" (47 × 50.4 cm); sheet: 19 13/16 × 22 15/16" (50.3 × 58.3 cm)
Publisher Betye Saar, Los Angeles
Printer Betye Saar, Los Angeles
Edition planned edition of 30, 6 known variants
Credit The Candace King Weir Endowment for Women Artists
Object number 1186.2018
Department Drawings and Prints

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Betye Saar

Betye Saar

American, born 1926 49 works online

In Betye Saar’s work, time is cyclical. History and experiences, emotion and knowledge travel across time and back again, linking the artist and viewers of her work with generations of people who came before them.

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