The Temporary Contemporary
Ellen Sebastian’s theatrical production Sanctified accompanied an exhibition of Betye Saar’s assemblages and installations titled Sanctified Visions, both homages to the legendary author Zora Neale Hurston.
Ten performances of Sanctified showed at the Temporary Contemporary in May 1990. The play comprised a fictionalized account of the last twenty-four hours of Hurston’s life, interweaving flashbacks, memories, and characters from the spiritual world with the voices of Hurston’s mother and father, her mentor Franz Boas, and other influential figures in the writer’s life. Sebastian’s performance maintained an archival perspective while cultivating a rich, dreamlike atmosphere, highlighting the dialects, songs, and rituals of rural, Black Southern culture. Grant Ditzler’s inventive set remained on view while the production was not active; John Carpenter designed the lights, Marilyn Waterman co-wrote the script, and Esther Scott powerfully performed the leading role. The joint exhibitions were accompanied by a limited-edition artist book co-created by Saar and Sebastian, published by MOCA.
Sanctified and Sanctified Visions were organized by Julie Lazar, Curator, The Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles.
The Temporary Contemporary is the original name of The Geffen Contemporary at MOCA.