Betye Saar’s 1972 assemblage piece, The Liberation of Aunt Jemima reclaims the image of Aunt Jemima,
Betye Saar’s 1972 assemblage piece, The Liberation of Aunt Jemima reclaims the image of Aunt Jemima, juxtaposing her stereotypically smiling, docile nature as caretaker, as she is nationally known for as the face of the best-selling pancake mix, and arms her with Black nationalist imagery such as a rifle, African Kente cloth, and a raised fist. Rather than accepting ideas of Black female subservience rooted in slavery, as notioned by the cotton at the bottom of the frame, Saar renders the racist caricature, mammy stereotype and tokenism obsolete with symbols of pride and empowerment.Posted by Emoni BarakaBetye Saar (American, born 1926). The Liberation of Aunt Jemima, 1972. Wood, cotton, plastic, metal, acrylic, printed paper and fabric. © Betye Saar. Collection of Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive, Berkeley, California; purchased with the aid of funds from the National Endowment for the Arts (selected by The Committee for the Acquisition of Afro-American Art). © Betye Saar. (Photo: Benjamin Blackwell. Courtesy of the artist and Roberts Projects, Los Angeles) -- source link
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