Prestigious painter, sculptor Alison Saar donates art to college
L.A. artist's pieces featured at Atkinson Gallery
Amanda Jacobs
Issue date: 11/4/09 Section: Entertainment
Saar said when she titles her works, she gives the names levity because the imagery is so heavy.
The piece "Sweeping Beauty" is a play on women's roles and their hair. Saar said she uses a lot of hair in her work because part of what describes her as an African American is her kinky and wiry hair.
Saar and Goodman, Art Department Chair Ed Inks, and instructors Nevin Littlehale and Christopher Bates created 10 one-foot tall bronze pieces in City College's art department out of Saar's design.
The team purchased 2,000 pounds of bronze and poured the sculptures over the past few months. Saar has made numerous visits and Littlehale is finishing the pieces this week. Saar has agreed to give the Atkinson Gallery five of the sculptures to do anything with.
The piece they created, titled "Inheritance," consists of a bronze sculpture of a girl with a large, hand-woven cloth ball on her head.
Goodman said the piece allows the viewers to ask themselves is she inheriting the history of the past pertaining to slavery or the big weight of women's traditional roles.
"I think they're very loaded, marvelous pieces. Artists are supposed to evoke somebody in the audience," Littlehale said. "[Saar] makes you think about African American issues and stereotypes."
Saar said she likes her ideas to come across through her work but also likes that her pieces can also come across on a personal level.
"I think it's a really nice piece," Bates said. "You can tell a story to yourself through it."
Goodman said she is an important American artist.
"I think its great that our school has the opportunity to have such a well known artist come share her work with the art students here as well the whole city of Santa Barbara," said art student Marcos Carreno. "It is a great chance for students to see what is happening in the world of contemporary art and see what it takes to become recognized."
Saar said that her favorite piece that she has created is "Proclamation," a six foot tall cast bronze braid that has been cut.
"I've had two children, one that's in the second year of college and one that's 16 and it resembles cutting my strings and allowing myself to pursue new things in my art," Saar said. "It's an icon for where I want my work to go."
Saar looks back on her work and sees it differently. She sees the future as an opportunity to start on a new direction.
"As her time goes on her star will rise even higher because of the work she's done and will do," Goodman said.
Saar's exhibit begins Nov. 11 in the Atkinson Gallery. The gallery will also host a reception from 5 to 7 p.m. on Nov. 13. She will also host a lecture as part of the art department's lecture series at 4:30 p.m. on Dec. 2 in Room 101 in the Physical Science building.
The piece "Sweeping Beauty" is a play on women's roles and their hair. Saar said she uses a lot of hair in her work because part of what describes her as an African American is her kinky and wiry hair.
Saar and Goodman, Art Department Chair Ed Inks, and instructors Nevin Littlehale and Christopher Bates created 10 one-foot tall bronze pieces in City College's art department out of Saar's design.
The team purchased 2,000 pounds of bronze and poured the sculptures over the past few months. Saar has made numerous visits and Littlehale is finishing the pieces this week. Saar has agreed to give the Atkinson Gallery five of the sculptures to do anything with.
The piece they created, titled "Inheritance," consists of a bronze sculpture of a girl with a large, hand-woven cloth ball on her head.
Goodman said the piece allows the viewers to ask themselves is she inheriting the history of the past pertaining to slavery or the big weight of women's traditional roles.
"I think they're very loaded, marvelous pieces. Artists are supposed to evoke somebody in the audience," Littlehale said. "[Saar] makes you think about African American issues and stereotypes."
Saar said she likes her ideas to come across through her work but also likes that her pieces can also come across on a personal level.
"I think it's a really nice piece," Bates said. "You can tell a story to yourself through it."
Goodman said she is an important American artist.
"I think its great that our school has the opportunity to have such a well known artist come share her work with the art students here as well the whole city of Santa Barbara," said art student Marcos Carreno. "It is a great chance for students to see what is happening in the world of contemporary art and see what it takes to become recognized."
Saar said that her favorite piece that she has created is "Proclamation," a six foot tall cast bronze braid that has been cut.
"I've had two children, one that's in the second year of college and one that's 16 and it resembles cutting my strings and allowing myself to pursue new things in my art," Saar said. "It's an icon for where I want my work to go."
Saar looks back on her work and sees it differently. She sees the future as an opportunity to start on a new direction.
"As her time goes on her star will rise even higher because of the work she's done and will do," Goodman said.
Saar's exhibit begins Nov. 11 in the Atkinson Gallery. The gallery will also host a reception from 5 to 7 p.m. on Nov. 13. She will also host a lecture as part of the art department's lecture series at 4:30 p.m. on Dec. 2 in Room 101 in the Physical Science building.
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