A Handful of Stars, a cast of Betye Saar’s left hand, is a highly personal portrait of the artist. Here, Saar represents the tools she uses to make her art — her hands. She adds stars, the moon, and the sun to reference her frequent studio practice of incorporating found objects in her sculptures.
In a recent interview on the The Modern Art Notes Podcast, Renée Stout, whose work is also featured in the Sheldon exhibition Person of Interest, talks about the life-changing experience of seeing an exhibition of Saar's work in 1984. It was the first museum show by an African American woman that Stout had seen and served as a significant catalyst for her work.
Betye Saar born Los Angeles, CA 1926 A Handful of Stars Bronze with patina and walnut base, 2016 8 3/8 × 3 3/4 × 5 inches Sheldon Museum of Art, University of Nebraska–Lincoln, Robert E. Schweser and Fern Beardsley Schweser Acquisition Fund, through the University of Nebraska Foundation, U-6870.2019
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