"Keep for Old Memiors"

Betye Saar

1976

An intimate assemblage of printed papers, lace, pressed leaves and fabric sewn and pasted onto a painted frame and anchored by a pair of worn gloves, in which Betye Saar gathers domestic mementos to evoke memory and family intimacy.

At a glance it reads like an opened keepsake book pressed behind glass—the soft sheen of leather gloves, yellowed roses, a small bird vignette and a faded portrait sit beneath layers of lace and thread so that texture and age become as important as the images themselves.

By elevating everyday ephemera and domestic objects into a composed artwork, Saar helped expand assemblage into a feminist, diasporic practice that recovers private histories and challenges what belongs in the museum.

Palette

Exhibitions

Printed Textiles for the Home

1947

Matisse Maquette: The Sheaf

1956

Wall Hangings

1969

Handmade Paper Prints and Unique Works

1976