History is a Weapon - Alison Saar's "Grow'd"
by Gregg Chadwick “I spect I grow’d. Don’t think nobody ever made me.” - Topsy from Harriet Beecher Stowe’s Uncle Tom’s Cabin Alison Saar's Grow’d sits majestically in L.A. Louver’s open-air Skyroom. Last night, I was privileged to chat with Ms. Saar about her life and work in front of her haunting bronze sculpture. Saar has reimagined Topsy as a strong, fully aware woman. The cotton bale that she sits on has become a throne. And the sickle in her hand has become a harbinger of justice to come. Cotton stalks tied to her hair float like a firmament of earthly stars. Alison Saar Grow'd 2019 / cast bronze / 78 1/2 x 39 x 38 3/4 in. (199.4 x 99.1 x 98.4 cm) L.A. Louver - June 5, 2019 (photo by Gregg Chadwick) In 2017-18, Saar created a body of artwork featured in a 2018 solo show at L.A. Louver centered around the character of Topsy. Saar's exhibition entitled Topsy Turvy dove headfirst into the legacy of slavery in America. Douglas Messerli wrote,...