Confession time…

I visited The Appleton Museum of Art in Ocala, Florida for the very first time a few short weeks ago. I know, I know… as an avowed museum nerd, this is a gross oversight on my part. I finally set aside the time to visit and I am pleased to report that I had a really wonderful experience. Plus, the two exhibitions that inspired my journey to Ocala were absolutely worth the trip.

One of the exhibitions that caught my attention was a small collection of work by artist Alison Saar. If that name sounds at all familiar to you longtime followers of the blog, it is probably because I included her mother – Betye Saar – in my class From Muse to Master vol. 2 in the spring of this year. In that class we studied Betye Saar’s found object sculptures and discussed her commentary on the experiences of black women in America. I was curious to see if Alison Saar would follow in her mother’s creative footsteps.

And in deed she does! The works featured were all prints (lithographs, etchings, woodcuts and sometimes a combination of techniques) that addressed slavery and racism in the U.S. in astounding ways.

In “Man/Club,” Alison draws from the myth of Prometheus (and his perpetual punishment for giving fire to humans) as a metaphor for the enslaved. What I loved most about Alison’s prints was that she included, in strategic and subtle ways, a three dimensional element. The torso of the figure seen in “Man/Club” is cut out, providing a sort of window to the interior of the man who is considered more property than free human.

“Blue Plate Special” is another work whose subject matter feels amplified by the artist’s choice to include a 3D element. While the severed head on a plate is a striking and unnerving concept on its own, the addition of lightly folded paper adds another layer that opens the work up to even more interpretations. Is this a play on the biblical story of Salome requesting the head of John the Baptist on a silver platter? Or is this a Baroque still life complete with decorative tapestry? Or could it be, as the title suggest, a demented meal accompanied by a pair of fancy dinner napkins or resting on a decorative tablecloth?

Whichever interpretive path you choose, there is no denying that the head of an African American man is on a plate and that some dubious and sinister act was committed. It is unsettling and it should be.

For me, the most striking piece was “Breach,” a scene depicting a woman navigating the flood waters of the Great Mississippi River flood of 1927. In this piece, we see a naked woman who has lost nearly everything and balances the few possessions she has left on her head. The creative choice to execute this woodcut print on a vintage linen seed sack only enhances the underlying message of resiliency and the determination of black women who carry on despite being stripped of everything.

My only disappointment with this exhibition was that it was so small – only seven pieces were on display. That said, the enormity of the artist’s intent flowed freely from the work and filled the space with an air of contemplation and an electrical charge to connect with and better understand the black experience in America.

The works of Alison Saar are on view at the Appleton Museum of Art until January 2, 2022. For more info on this exhibition, please visit…