Born in New York, Alison Knowles studied at the Pratt Institute, where she earned an honors degree in fine art. She emerged as a central figure in the international Fluxus movement during the 1960s, a collective dedicated to the integration of disparate artistic disciplines and the exploration of indeterminacy in creative practice.

Her practice is characterized by the use of event scores, soundworks, and large-scale installations that invite audience interaction. Her work often emphasizes the tactile nature of art, utilizing everyday objects and actions to challenge traditional boundaries between the performer and the viewer.

Knowles continues to be recognized for her contributions to the neo-avant-garde. In 2015, she received an honorary doctorate from the Pratt Institute, and her experimental scores remain a subject of scholarly focus, including recent digital archival projects by the Getty Research Institute that document her influence on performance history.