Autoportrait Day 33~ Alison Saar

A random survey of self-portraits created by women through the centuries

Sculptor, mixed-media, and installation artist Alison Saar (born 1956)

Mirror, Mirror (Mulatta Seeking Inner Negress), 2006 / Wood, copper, tin, and bronze / Jordan D. Schnitzer Family Foundation

Left: Mirror, Mirror; Mulatta Seeking Inner Negress, 2014 / Woodcut and chine collé on found sugar sack / Jordan D. Schnitzer Family Foundation
Right: Mirror, Mirror; Mulatta Seeking Inner Negress II, 2015 / Woodcut on chine-collé / National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution

[4 embedded links above]

Born December 31~ Selma Burke

Selma Hortense Burke (December 31, 1900-August 29, 1995) was an American sculptor, educator, and member of the Harlem Renaissance movement.
Biography on Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Selma_Burke

Monument to the Tuskegee Airmen by Selma Burke / 1942 / Bronze / 9-1/4″x6″x6″
From The Melvin Holmes Collection of African American Art, San Francisco, CA

Selma Burke on Artnet: http://www.artnet.com/artists/selma-burke/

Further reading:
https://www.ncmaahc.org/posts/selma-burke
https://thejohnsoncollection.org/selma-burke/
https://www.villagepreservation.org/2021/03/01/groundbreaking-artist-and-educator-selma-hortense-burkes-home-at-88-east-10th-street/

Born December 30~ Lila Katzen

Lila Pell Katzen (December 30, 1925-September 20, 1998) was an American sculptor of fluid, large-scale metal abstractions. Originally a painter, she began to focus her attention on sculpture in 1964.
Biography on Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lila_Katzen

Pinkney by Lila Katzen
1978 / Steel, Cor-Ten / 61″x55″x30″ / Grounds for Sculpture, Hamilton, NJ

Lila Katzen on Invaluable: https://www.invaluable.com/artist/katzen-lila-pell-m2pdkuhmt6/sold-at-auction-prices/

Further reading:
https://www.groundsforsculpture.org/artists/lila-katzen/
https://stanleymuseum.uiowa.edu/about/stories-from-sma/from-the-archives-2/
https://www.nytimes.com/1998/10/04/nyregion/lila-katzen-72-sculptor-of-abstract-works.html

Lila Katzen Lecture, 1981, at Maryland Institute College of Art: https://archive.org/details/mma240-02/mma240-01.wav

Born December 24~ Gertrude K. Lathrop

Gertrude Katherine Lathrop (December 24, 1896-March 16, 1986) was an American sculptor, known for her medallion work and sculptures of small animals.
Biography on Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gertrude_K._Lathrop

Medals by Gertrude K. Lathrop

Gertrude K. Lathrop on Invaluable: https://www.invaluable.com/artist/lathrop-gertrude-katherine-wwigcmvhpg/sold-at-auction-prices/

Further reading:
https://brookgreen.pastperfectonline.com/bycreator?keyword=Lathrop%2C+Gertrude+Katherine
https://americanart.si.edu/artist/gertrude-k-lathrop-2814
https://www.albany.edu/arce/LathropXX.html

 

Born December 21~ Christine McHorse

Christine Nofchissey McHorse (December 21, 1948-February 17, 2021) was a Navajo ceramic artist who continually experimented with designs, materials, and firing techniques.
Biography on Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christine_McHorse

Spine by Christine McHorse
2010 / Micaceous clay / 27-1/4″ high / Christine Nofchissey McHorse Estate

Christine McHorse on Artnet: http://www.artnet.com/artists/christine-mchorse/

Further reading:
“The clay’s the thing: sculptor Christine Nofchissey McHorse”: https://bit.ly/3IQPXI9
https://westharlem.art/2021/03/20/christine-nofchissey-mchorse-navajo-ceramist-artist/
https://americanart.si.edu/blog/christine-mchorse-navajo-artist

Born December 20~ Beverly Pepper

Beverly Pepper (December 20, 1922-February 5, 2020) was an American artist known for her towering sculptures of steel, stone, iron, and earth.
Biography on Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beverly_Pepper

Toro by Beverly Pepper
1962 / Steel and wood / 73-3/4″x47″x23″ / San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, CA

Beverly Pepper on Artnet: http://www.artnet.com/artists/beverly-pepper/

Further reading:
https://www.fondazioneprogettibeverlypepper.com/en/
https://news.artnet.com/art-world/beverly-pepper-obituary-1770933
https://magazine.artland.com/female-iconoclasts-beverly-pepper/
https://thewomensstudio.net/2020/09/24/beverly-pepper/