Marion Glass: Senior Portfolio: Lecture: Sanford Biggers

I was really happy to have attended the Sanford Biggers lecture yesterday afternoon. Although I was unsure of my feelings towards his method of speaking about his work - I often felt like he was unclear or even unsure in his explanations - and it was slow-moving at times, I enjoyed the lecture, seeing his work, and hearing about his travels and experiences.

An excerpt from his website biography reads: "A native of Los Angeles, California, and current New York resident, Sanford Biggers uses the study of ethnological objects, popular icons, and the Dadaist tradition to explore cultural and creative syncretism, art history, and politics. An accomplished musician, Biggers often incorporates performative elements into his sculptures and installations, resulting in multilayered works that act as anecdotal vignettes, at once full of wit and clear formal intent. Biggers has won several awards including: The Creative Time Travel Grant, Creative Capital Project Grant, New York Percent for the Arts Commission, Art Matters Grant, New York Foundation for the Arts Award in performance art/multidisciplinary work, the Lambent Fellowship in the arts, the Pennies From Heaven/ New York Community Trust Award, Tanne Foundation Award, Rema Hort Mann Foundation Award Grant, James Nelson Raymond Fellowship from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, and a Camille Hanks-Cosby Fellowship."

The first work that Biggers showed at the lecture was his collaboration with David Ellis, Mandala of the B-Bodhisvattva II, which consists of a hand-cut linoleum floor inspired by Buddhist Mandalas. The two artists created the floor, donated it to a breakdancing competition in the Bronx, and it has been showing in various museums since. Biggers mentioned that at every venue the floor shows in, they make an agreement that it must be available for dancers to use (see video below.)

After the Mandala, my favorite piece was Blossom, a sculpted tree growing out of an actual player-piano, with Biggers' own version of Billie Holiday's Strange Fruit playing on a loop. This work in particular deals with issues of race and discrimination, and was shown at the Prospect. 1 Biennial, New Orleans in 2007.

Please check out some of my favorite images documenting his work and the videos below, and visit Biggers' website here. His website is very thorough, and includes tons of images from his past and present work, as well as the other videos he shared at the lecture, Small World, and Cheshire.