Recently, I attended a terrific exhibition at the Michael Rosenfeld Gallery called CAGE that showcases the work of Betye Saar.

Ms. Saar (born 1926) is one of my favorite artists. This beautiful show comprises a variety of birdcages filled with found objects such as broken toys, black memorabilia, etc., and a group of collages. One assemblage of ships within a cage especially took me in, draped across this particular cage was a silver braid of human hair, more hair was strewn at the bottom of the cage.

I interpreted this as resilience, though Africans came over in slave ships, endured indignities, backbreaking work under unbearable conditions, many were able to “comb gray hair.” I would go so far to say that the hair conveyed miscegenation. The broken dolls in a cage felt like broken hopes and youth yanked away.

Another depicts a black swan’s head poking out of a cage. This work is titled “Illusion of Freedom” — no matter where you go, you’re still in that cage, even if you are allowed to venture out, just a bit, you may be walking the walk of a free man, but you are still walking within the parameters of the cage. The beauty of this show is that the message is conveyed softly and delicately. This is what I love about Ms. Saar’s work.

Michael Rosenfeld Gallery
24 West 57th Street
November 6th-January 15th
www.michaelrosenfeldart.com/

Must see:

MOMA

On Line: Drawing Through the Twentieth Century, through February 7th

Abstract Expressionism, through April 25th
11 West 53rd Street
www.moma.org/