The art of Alison Saar (b. 1956 in Los Angeles) draws on an extraordinary breadth of cultural tradition and knowledge of art history. Saar grew up in a family of art professionals — her mother an artist, her father an art conservator — and her lifelong study of art has been voracious and far-reaching. The artist’s work in diverse media reflects a sophisticated grasp of the classical traditions of European, Carribean and African art, merged with the influence of American popular culture, vernacular folk art and the practices of marginal or “outsider” artists. Her art often raises questions about racial and cultural identity that are informed by both her extensive knowledge of art and her personal background — her family has European, African-American, and Native American roots. Writing in the Los Angeles Times, art critic Christopher Knight observed that “Saar has an exceptional capacity to weave together African, American and African-American artistic traditions … Present and past strike against one another, often causing radiant sparks.”