Abstract

Focusing on works by contemporary African-American artist Betye Saar, this paper suggests that in repurposing her great-aunt's possessions Saar revaluates the worth of objects accumulated through ageing. The method of assemblage, which focuses on recycling waste objects and collapsing spatial and temporal boundaries, is in dialogue with the way in which cultural gerontologists are rethinking approaches to waste, decline and experiences of time. In Saar's ‘family shrines’ she memorializes the long life of her great-aunt Hattie Parson Keyes and, in doing so, opens up new avenues of interpretation for Hattie's belongings. As a nonagenarian, Saar's work is receiving renewed interest in the contemporary art world and the latter half of the paper ends on a discussion of Saar's solo show Still Tickin’ (2015 Saar, Betye (2015), Betye Saar: Still Tickin’ [Touring Exhibition], Museum Het Domein Sittard, Netherlands, 28 June–15 November 2015; Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art, Arizona. 30 January - 1 May 2016. [Google Scholar]). The exhibition used Saar's assemblagist eye to radially rethink the retrospective not as linear progression but as cyclical, thematic and unbeholden to ‘the end’.

摘要

着眼于当代非洲裔美国人艺术家贝蒂·萨尔（Bethye Saar）的作品，本文建议萨尔重新利用其姑姑的财产，以重新评估通过老化积累的物品的价值。这种组装方法的重点是回收废物，并破坏空间和时间边界，这与文化老年学家重新思考废物，衰落和时间经验的方法形成了对话。在萨尔（Saar）的“家庭神殿”中，她纪念了曾祖母海蒂·帕森·凯斯（Hattie Parson Keyes）的长寿，并以此为海蒂的财产开辟了新的解释渠道。作为非专家，萨尔（Saar）的作品在当代艺术界引起了新的兴趣，本文的后半部分以对萨尔（Saar）的个展《斯蒂尔·提金（Still Tickin'）（2015年 萨尔，贝蒂（2015），贝蒂·萨尔：《仍然在巡回展览》，荷兰Het Domein Sittard博物馆，荷兰，2015年6月28日至11月15日；亚利桑那州斯科茨代尔当代艺术博物馆。2016年1月30日至5月1日。 [Google Scholar]）。展览利用萨尔的集合主义者的眼光，以放射状的方式重新思考了回顾展，而不是线性发展，而是周期性，主题性和对“终结”的迷恋。