L’artiste trouve son inspiration dans la spiritualité et l'art folklorique africain, caribéen ou latino-américains[1]. The artist's multiethnic upbringing, multiracial identity and her studies of Latin American, Caribbean and African art and religion have informed her work. "Departures and Returns: Figuring the Mother's Body in the Art of Betye and Alison Saar. Santa Barbara Seasons. [19] She was an artist-in-residence at Dartmouth College and at The Studio Museum in Harlem. [1] Saar is well known for "transforming found objects to reflect themes of cultural and social identity, history, and religion. "[5], Saar is skilled in numerous artistic mediums, including metal sculpture, wood, fresco, woodblock print, and works using found objects. [5][9] Her highly personal, often life-sized sculptures are marked by their emotional candor, and by contrasting materials and messages she imbues her work with a high degree of cultural subtext. Alison Saar's “Conked” (1997), which depicts a woman swallowing her own hair, made of wire, at the Benton Museum of Art at Pomona College in Claremont, Calif., on Oct. 28, 2020. [4] They also saw Outsider Art, such as Simon Rodia's Watts Towers in Los Angeles and Grandma Prisbrey's Bottle Village in Simi Valley. [1] Snake Man, in the collection of the Honolulu Museum of Art, is an example of how the artist references both African culture and the human body in her work. Ahead of her biggest exhibition to date, the sculptor talks about Black Panther imagery, the goddess Yemoja and her own quest to balance anger and beauty. [13] Her sculptures represent issues relating to gender and race through both her personal experience and historical context. Callaloo 14.1 (1991): 107-23. Mirror Mirror: The Prints and Sculpture of Alison Saar from the Jordan Schnitzer Family Foundation will be on view from September 1 to December 19, 2020. For Los Angeles sculptor Alison Saar, art came from both sides of the family. Alison Saar: Of Aether and Earthe Rating Required Select Rating 1 star (worst) 2 stars 3 stars (average) 4 stars 5 stars (best) Name "Thread to the World: Alison Saar" Bomblog, 17 Nov 2011. full article, PDF. Her father, Richard Saar, was a conservator and ceramicist. [10] In addition to their distinguished separate careers Saar and her mother Betye Saar have produced artworks together. “Reclaiming Histories: Betye and Alison Saar, Feminism, and the Representation of Black Womanhood.”, Farrington, Lisa E. "Reinventing Herself: The Black Female Nude." "Identity in the Balance. "Down to the Crossroads: The Art of Alison Saar." Her sculptures and installations explore themes of African cultural diaspora and spirituality. Elle reçoit un double diplôme en histoire de l'art et en art studio du Scripps College de Claremont en 1978. La jeune fille découvre notamment l’Art outsider, œuvres réalisées par des artistes autodidactes, marginaux ou adeptes de l’art naïf, telles les Watts Towers, un ensemble de huit tours édifiées par Simon Rodia, ou le Village de Grand-mère Prisbrey Bouteille à Simi Valley[5]. Sa thèse de fin d’études porte sur l'art populaire afro-américain[9]. Significant group exhibitions include: In Profile: Portraits from the Permanent Collection at The Studio Museum in Harlem in 2015;[28] African American Art since 1950: Perspectives from the David C. Driskell Center, a traveling exhibition and catalogue that was presented at the University of Maryland in 2012, Taft Museum of Art in 2013, Harvey B. Gantt Center in 2014, Figge Art Museum in 2014-15, Polk Museum of Art in 2015, and Sheldon Museum of Art in 2016. A few of Saar's biggest influences were her mother, Betye Saar, who is another artist, and one of her professors at Scripps College, Dr. Samella Lewis. Alison Saar likes to make sculptures of strong Black women standing their ground: broad shoulders, wide stance, unmovable in their convictions. Un article de Wikipédia, l'encyclopédie libre. Alison Saar is a Los Angeles-based artist who has worked primarily in sculptures and prints for over 35 years. "[17] Of Saar's 2006 exhibition Coup, critic Rebecca Epstein wrote, “[Saar] demonstrates deft skill with seemingly unforgiving materials (bronze, lead, tar, wood). 1984: Artist Fellowship, National Endowment for the Arts; Artist in Residence, 1986: Artist in Residence, November, Washington Project for the Arts, 1998: Joan Mitchell Foundation Award, New Orleans, LA, 1998: Augustus St. Gaudens Memorial Foundation, Cornish, NH, 2000: Flintridge Foundation Awards for Visual Arts, Pasadena, CA, 2004: Received the COLA Grant, Los Angeles, CA, Dallow, Jessica. Elle est alors l’élève du Dr Samella Lewis[8]. Material Generally, I have to experience everything through my hands. Dans une revue de la Biennale, la critique d'art de The New York Times, Roberta Smith, déclare que le travail d’Alison Saar se distingue parmi les "rares cas où le politique et le visuel unissent leurs forces avec une réelle efficacité"[16]. "Down to the Crossroads: The Art of Alison Saar." Alison Saar, née le 5 février 1956 à Los Angeles, est une sculpteure et artiste visuelle multimédias basée à Los Angeles, en Californie. Son travail est souvent autobiographique et reconnaît le rôle historique du corps en tant que marqueur d'identité, ainsi que le lien du corps avec la politique identitaire contemporaine[12],[1]. [7] Dealing with artifacts from different cultures—Chinese frescoes, Egyptian mummies, and Pre-Columbian and African art—taught Alison about properties of various materials, techniques, and aesthetics.