CORY REYNOLDS | DATE 11/1/2022

Hot Book Alert: 'Betye Saar: Black Doll Blues' is NEW from Roberts Projects!

Featured spreads are from Roberts Projects' highly anticipated Betye Saar: Black Doll Blues, presenting the inimitable nonagenarian's collection of Black dolls, alongside recent watercolors of the dolls, historic assemblages, sketchbooks and a pop-out cardboard doll modeled after Saar’s "Hoo Doo Woman" (1974)—the only doll in Saar's collection that she hand-made herself. "During the 2020 pandemic quarantine, I began creating watercolor paintings of the Black dolls from my collection," Saar is quoted. "I’ve always used watercolors for my sketchbooks, especially when I travel. I love the freedom of watercolor as a medium, and the rich, saturated, bright colors lend themselves well to depicting the clothing of the dolls. As I painted my dolls, I drew comfort from touching them, arranging them, tidying their skirts and jackets. It was fun. And perhaps on some level, it was a way to keep me feeling safe during the lockdown. Essentially, I was playing with my dolls."