The Trickster 1994

Curator: Betye Saar crafted this imposing mixed-media assemblage titled "The Trickster" in 1994. It's a compelling, towering piece constructed from found objects, including metal and other materials. Editor: My initial response is...intrigue! The textures are captivating. The artist assembled an array of patinated metal components into an abstract figurative form, with such precise detailing on each layer of construction. There's this definite verticality contrasted with strong horizontal tiers. Curator: Exactly! Betye Saar has a long and very significant engagement with assemblage as a sculptural mode that has links with traditions of resistance art that use readily available discarded elements, which links the art intrinsically with social experience and the urban landscape of her practice. We must read Saar's assemblage practice in relationship to traditions like those from Noah Purifoy in Southern California. Editor: Tell me more about her selection of form for "The Trickster" itself...the tower structure evokes totem-like power and stature. But it seems to soften somehow the geometry via the repetitive spherical intrusions that create a very interesting effect and almost softens the harder geometry, what is its structural impact? Curator: Consider the cultural contexts, the figure of the "Trickster" exists across African and diasporic traditions – from Esu-Elegbara to Br’er Rabbit – embodying both chaos and creativity, challenge and change. So Betye Saar uses this structure to convey very rich layered meaning, that sits against a colonial impulse to deny this rich and ancient legacy, to center the role and contributions of peoples and cultural heritage in global modernism. Saar often employs these symbols in her work to recontextualize their significance. Editor: Yes, now that you mention it, the key element adds an important layer of depth. Given the sculpture's overall form, the title and the positioning of that one detail, I almost want to interpret "The Trickster" as both an allusion and a symbol of unlocking deeper cultural knowledge. It reminds viewers of something they cannot quite recall! Curator: The red circles placed right at the 'head' and connected by chain, almost creates the image of sight and insight...which would have been completely absent with the monochrome materials. How amazing, then, to think about how she achieved all that from discarded things! Editor: Absolutely! Well, reflecting on this now, I am seeing that there is far more going on than initially meets the eye. Curator: Indeed, a dialogue with Saar's assemblage shows it embodies the power of transformation.