"You just have to pay attention to how you put things together," Betye Saar once advised. Her early career showcases a diverse array of creative pursuits, from costume design to jewellery making.

The exhibition at Roberts Projects in Los Angeles highlights Saar's broad curiosities and her skillful blending of media before she became internationally renowned for assemblage art. Early pieces like the wallpaper designs for Antigone, made in 1970, reveal her early experimentation with collage.

Her sketches and fabric swatches are displayed alongside photographs of how these items were used on stage. Saar's domestic creations for her daughters, such as handmade outfits for the Renaissance Pleasure Faire, further demonstrate her versatility and creativity.

This exhibition serves as a reminder that Saar’s groundbreaking work in assemblage was rooted in her early explorations of mixed media and found objects. It offers a unique insight into her development as an artist and her profound influence on African American art.