Photography and the Black Arts Movement, 1955–1985

In Niki de Saint Phalle In Print, twenty never-before-exhibited prints from the museum’s collection reveal Saint Phalle’s unique vision of the powers at work in our universe. Drawn from the museum’s deep collection of works by Niki de Saint Phalle (b. 1930, Neuilly-sur-Seine, France; d. 2002, San Diego), this exhibition of twenty large-scale prints explores the artist’s captivating work as a printmaker. Exhibited at NMWA for the first time, prints on view blend vivid colors with Saint Phalle’s animated drawing style and looping handwriting that conveys her insights and dreams.

Saint Phalle’s prints made between 1968 and 1970 include the artist’s voluptuous female figures called Nanas (roughly equivalent to “sassy young women” in French slang) that subvert conventional ideals for women’s bodies. Prints from the artist’s “Californian Diary” series (1993to 1994), which include “Dear Diary” headings and chatty texts, paint pictures of encounters with the southern California landscape and offer soulful reflections on the dynamics of contemporary culture and the need for activism.

Although widely known for her sculptures and performances, Saint Phalle’s practice included prints, books, films, clothing, jewelry, and even her own perfume. Her accessible creations helped finance the centerpiece of her life’s work, Tarot Garden (1974 to 1998), an expansive sculpture park that she built in the hills of Tuscany. A selection of prints on view depicts some of the Major Arcana in a tarot card deck. The characters, forces, virtues, and vices represented by the arcana inspired Saint Phalle to probe powerful archetypes that shape human relationships.