Figuring It Out: Black Womanhood through the Figurative in Alison Saar’s Oeuvre

FAIN: HB-294310-24

Elizabeth Carmel Hamilton
Fort Valley State College (Fort Valley, GA 31030-3298)

Research and writing leading to a book about Black American artist Alison Saar (b. 1956), her biography, and the themes and techniques evident in her sculptures, installations, prints, and public works.

Figuring It Out: Black Womanhood through the Figurative in Alison Saar’s Oeuvre is a culturally relevant art historical study that centers a Black woman’s unique biography in relation to her oeuvre through Black feminist visual theory and Afrofemcentrism. Through archival research, oral history collection, and secondary sources, this monograph will be the first comprehensive study of Saar's work, supplying a critical analysis of her themes, techniques, and artistic development. The book features Saar's sculptures, installations, prints, and public works from throughout her career, providing a comprehensive overview of her artistic development and the evolution of her themes and techniques. Organized thematically, each chapter highlights the key themes and issues that Saar has explored in her work–not only as informing principles but as potential modes of interpretation.