Alison Saar’s current exhibition Topsy Turvy featured at L.A Louver is possibly her most anger-fueled work so far. Topsy Turvy is an exhibition based on the spirit of Topsy from Uncle Tom’s Cabin, but instead of granting Topsy the novel’s original ending, Saar reinterprets the scene. Through this altered narrative, Saar conveys the frustrations of the black community towards the unwavering prejudice racist beliefs that have remained unchanged, even after the abolition of slavery.

Saar’s entire exhibition revolves around Topsy, the rebellious and almost barbaric-like character from Uncle Tom’s Cabin. Saar takes Topsy’s description literally, giving her wiry hair, mimicking her skin as extremely dark and making her appear almost like a creature or “goblin-like” as was described in the novel.

As mentioned before, Saar is purposely changing the narrative of the fate of Topsy in Uncle Tom’s Cabin—instead keeping Topsy as rebellious.

The spirit of Topsy is featured throughout the entire exhibition; through the young army of children that confront you at the middle of the exhibition room, to the juxtaposition of Saar’s interpretation of Topsy to the Topsy depicted in the original novel. Saar adds this tension between the viewer and Topsy, creating a sort of power and stillness that comes completely from her intense, yet blank, eyes.

The dynamic of tension is what Saar is implementing in her exhibition, mirroring the political tension in the U.S, especially in terms of sparking frustrations and fear in groups who are directly affected by discriminatory obstacles.

There is no arguing in terms of questioning whether the current political climate, fueled by prejudice views, is in any way harmful to minority groups. The most recent event that comes to mind was the issue with the Confederate Monuments this past year.

Not only did this spark conflict between the radical right and liberal groups, but it truly displayed the racist qualities that have remained in U.S society. Conservatives were questioning whether this would mean the erasure of monuments of individuals who established this country, but the overall underlying issue is that these works of art are offensive and demeaning to minority groups, especially of the black community.

Art that becomes even more offensive when U.S politicians completely disregard these artworks as such. Events such as these display that prejudice views have never left the United States, they have just been on the backburner for a couple of years. These are experiences and events that have inspired artists such as Saar to continue to create artwork that is explicitly going against the radical, inconsiderate right.

A point should also be acknowledged of the way that Saar handles exposing her personal and political opinions through her artwork.

Although her artwork may seem frightening and is not the typical appearance of aesthetic art, she expresses her current frustrations and anger-fueled beliefs in a sensitive matter, with the obvious indication that she has researched on her current subject. Some may argue that although Saar’s intention of creating Topsy Turvy as her own temper outlet towards the continued discrimination against African-Americans is well-meaning, but in what way will it be aimed towards individuals (like white-supremacists and the radical right) who need this message to resonate in them?

Saar’s work is not meant to overtly confront them, but to express the stories from her African-American community, especially in this politically charged environment.

In turn, Saar is able to acknowledge the current political climate while being sensitive to individuals who would feel some sort of resonance with her artwork. She is able to explain and pinpoint exactly what she was going for in Topsy Turvy while remaining culturally sensitive as a biracial identifying African-American.

Saar’s Topsy Turvy is currently addressing the political climate in the United States as well as showing that racist and prejudice views towards the black community have remained in this society. The relationship between each of these images is what creates the cultural, personal and political environment in the exhibit— one that is representing a community through a historical medium meant to evoke viewer feelings and experiences.

Saar, by reaching into her cultural heritage, fueled by her outrage towards the persisting discrimination and hate in the United States, is able to create art that resonates with people from her community, and to those outsiders who have not yet acknowledged the obstacles that these minority groups face.