Betye Saar’s Jeweled Eye, 2019

Betye Saar and Neil Lane at LACMA, November 2, 2019. All images from Lets Get it On Celebrated Los Angeles artist Betye Saar died recently just before her 100th birthday. In addition to her work as an assemblage artist, she also had a long career as a costume designer and maker of original clothes. This aspect of her life in art is documented in the new book Let’s Get it on: The Wearable Art of Betye Saar. To my disappointment, there wasn’t much about the clothes she made for herself and it was short on pictures of her as an older woman. However, one short article was worth a blog post. She and her friend, the jewelry designer Neil Lane, decided to make a signature jewelry piece for her to wear at the opening of her 2019 show at LACMA. To adorn the turban she planned to wear, they collaborated on a piece that would evoke the Eye of Horus. This symbol, which for Saar signified protection, restoration, and insight, appeared in many of her assemblages. Together Saar and Neil planned…