Conversation with Alison Saar and Nancy Doll

Alison Saar is known not only for her powerful sculptures—she is also a master of the art of printmaking. In both forms, she employs a personal vocabulary informed by history, race, and mythology. Her influences range from ancient Europe, Africa, and American folk art. She is especially drawn to the Kouros, an ancient Greek sculptural form of a man in the diametric pose of stillness and movement.

Saar’s works narrate stories of the African American experience, moving effortlessly from the personal to the political. In many of her works, she charts the tragic history of slavery in America, but her figures symbolize defiance and strength. Other recurring images are informed by jazz, romance, and desire.

Through decades of work, Alison Saar has used the power of art to tell stories, and especially ones that matter.

This exhibition has been coordinated for the Weatherspoon Art Museum by Director Nancy Doll and is accompanied by a catalogue.

Support for the exhibition has been made possible by a grant from the Jordan Schnitzer Family Foundation.

Photo: Paul O’Connor