War Woman III
2014/2019
In the 21st century, artists like Joyce J. Scott and Betye Saar (also on view in this gallery) have centered Black female figures and lives in their work to point to contemporary social issues. Scott fuses sculpted glass with beadwork inspired by African American, Native American, and West African Yoruba traditions to address issues of racism and sexism, particularly the vulnerability and resilience of women. In War Woman III, a female figure emerges from a nest of green beads perched on top of a pinkish skull, from which beaded snakes slither up to envelop her. The woman is powerful, timeless, and seemingly defiant against these ominous symbols—but ultimately her fate defies easy explanation.
Blown glass, beads, thread, wood, found objects
31 x 9 x 8 in. (78.7 x 22.9 x 20.3 cm)
Benaroya Glass Art Acquisition Fund and the Guendolen Carkeek Plestcheeff Endowment for the Decorative Arts
2020.1
Provenance: The artist; [Goya Contemporary, Baltimore, Maryland]; purchased from gallery by Seattle Art Museum, Seattle, Washington, 2020
Photo: Scott Leen
